On 18 September 2024, the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic announced a call for applications for a non-refundable financial contribution for building a network of regional integrated care centres. An amount of EUR 37.4 million from EU resources is allocated to the call. The call is intended for projects outside the Bratislava region and will be open until the amount allocated is exhausted.
Regional Integrated Care Centres will ensure that the conditions are in place to make the work of healthcare professionals more efficient, not only in the provision of healthcare, but also in the section of patient management, by creating the conditions for moving part of the administration from healthcare personnel to administrative staff or by increasing the use of eHealth electronic modules.
The concept of centres is defined so that the patient has a general doctor or a pediatrician and specialist under one roof, such as a gynecologist, and does not have to commute to a different location, address or tens of kilometres to another city, and Zuzana Dolinková, the health minister, explained. As she added, the allocation of the call is divided by region, while for each eligible self-governing region has allocated funds in the amount of almost 5.4 million Euro from EU resources. Applications for non-repayable financial contribution submitted will be approved at the level of the various self-governing regions.
The Ministry of Applicants has prepared a methodological guide and will learn more about online training. Healthcare providers performing outpatient health care may apply for funding. The maximum amount of non-refundable financial contribution per project is 2.7 million euro from EU resources.
Details of the call are published in the section "Eurofunds" at the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic (gov.sk) and in the ITMS21+ information monitoring system,https://portal.itms21.sk/voice-call/?id=3554, through which applicants can participate in the call. A methodology for the implementation and functioning of regional integrated care centres is also published for applicants. By the end of the month, it is planned to open a call for integrated centres within the Bratislava region.
