The transformation of hospitals into joint-stock companies would bring efficiency, order, public control, as well as responsible management of resources to the healthcare sector. This is claimed by the opposition SaS, which criticizes that the government withdrew from the original intention to transform state hospitals into joint-stock companies. The intention was part of a consolidation package.
“Why does this government want to back away from this really good idea? I say that it is not a panacea, it will not solve all the problems of the Slovak healthcare system, it is the necessary first step that needs to be brought there,” said a member of the National Council of the Slovak Republic at Tuesday’s press conference Tomáš Szalay (SaS). He emphasized that state hospitals do not currently have to be subject to any public audits, they do not have to issue annual reports, and society has no idea how they manage.
According to the deputy, hospitals need rules so that they do not become “bottomless black holes” where money is lost. He added that the Slovak healthcare system is not lagging behind because there are no quality people working in it, but because the system of state contribution organizations does not support efficiency or transparency.
If hospitals were joint-stock companies, they would have to keep standard accounting and pass a public audit. “When we control every euro, the waste in these hospitals will be significantly reduced and the money will be used where the patients need it, the money will go to the patient,” added Szalay.
Thanks to the share system, management in hospitals would also be professionalized according to SaS. “The joint-stock company gives hospitals the opportunity to follow modern management procedures, it avoids political interference,” he added.
The government coalition announced the proposal to transform hospitals into joint-stock companies in September as part of the presentation of the consolidation package. The proposal was rejected by the Medical Trade Union, which feared that this would result in the privatization of hospitals. The trade unionists insisted that the government clearly declare that there will be no transformation. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and Minister of Health Kamil Šaško (Hlas-SD) declared at the end of October that the topic of transforming hospitals into joint-stock companies is not on the table.
The leadership of the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the Slovak Republic is familiarizing itself in more detail with the situation in subordinate organizations within its establishment scope. “Our goal is to properly set up the functioning of individual health facilities and individual departments, as well as to improve management,” the communication department of the Ministry of Health responded for TASR. They reiterated that they therefore established a section for central management and coordination of subordinate organizations at the ministry.
