Minister of Health of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Dolinková met the ministrary in Prague on Thursday, February 15, 2024the Czech Republic Vlastimil Valekom. The main topic of the debate was the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the field of health. Ministers discussed the issue of digitisation of health, drug policy and cooperation in the field Health emergency services, opening a new chapter on cross-border cooperation between both countries.
The health minister first started the work programme by visiting the Faculty Hospital Motol, where she became familiar with advanced methods and procedures in the field of transplantation and treatment of major diseases. Lung transplantations for Slovak patients have been performed since 2018 on the basis of the Memorandum of Cooperation in FN Motol in Prague. To date, 26 patients from Slovakia have submitted to this demanding medical practice in Prague and 15 others are currently on the waiting list. The University Hospital The motol is an example of our excellent cooperation and innovation in medicine. Thanks to the existing cooperation between our countries, many Slovak patients have already been part of these treatment programmes," said Minister for Health Zuzana Dolinková.
During the negotiations with Czech Minister Vlastimil Valekom, he stressed the importance of digitising health as a key to making healthcare more effective and improving patient safety. "Digitalisation opens a new door to improving the healthcare provided and allows it to personalise the patient effectively thanks to processed data," underlined by the Minister.
Another area that delegations addressed was the drug policy, where there was agreement on common procedures to address the availability and pricing of medicines. They also discussed the possibility of concluding a Memorandum of Understanding on pharmaco-economic evaluation of health technologies, which could lead to better availability of innovative treatment methods for patients in both countries. –We want to continue to deepen and strengthen cooperation within the framework of pharmaceutical policy, cooperation on European legal standards and, in particular, the exchange of information in support of the production of medicines within the Czech and Slovak Republic, said Minister of Health Vlastimil Válek.
The Czech Minister of Health Vlastimil Válek appreciated the cooperation of our countries. I am very pleased that the Minister has accepted my invitation, so we have had the opportunity to discuss the opportunities for cooperation in several areas of health. I believe that such meetings will only contribute to the successful development of the health systems of both countries, added the Minister of Health of the Czech Republic Vlastimil Válek.
Both sides also discussed the predictable financing of health, DRG reimbursements and a new list of health performances, but also the necessary training and stabilisation of health personnel. At the end of the sitting, Minister Dolink added: The meeting underlined the need for mutual cooperation in order to provide citizens with accessible quality healthcare and medical assistance. I will therefore be very pleased if the Minister accepts the invitation to visit Slovakia, where our dialogue will continue and the Czech and Slovak expert teams will develop cooperation.
