LOZ Urges Gov't Not to Pass Changes to Razsochy Project

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - The Doctor's Labour Union Association (LOZ) called on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and the government not to pass changes concerning the construction of a new state university hospital in Bratislava, with LOZ head Peter Visolajsky urging the government to carry out the project at Bratislava's Razsochy in the way it had been originally planned. Visolajsky said this after his Tuesday's meeting with Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova (Voice-SD). "The Razsochy project is ready. All it takes are a few simple permits and the works are ready to go within a few months," said Visolajsky. LOZ criticises the fact that the Health Minister intends to reconstruct a hospital in Bratislava's Ruzinov borough instead and build a pediatric hospital at Razsochy. Visolajsky pointed out that the completion of the National Institute for Pediatric Illnesses is already planned in Bratislava and he fails to understand why another pediatric hospital should be constructed anywhere else. He warned that the state lacks sufficient land ownership near the Ruzinov hospital, which is prone to floods, there are no construction processes afoot there and the hospital has problems with ambulance transport. In Visolajsky's view, Health Minister Dolinkova is doing everything she can to prevent the construction of Razsochy hospital because she acts in favour of the Penta investment group, to which the construction of the Razsochy hospital would pose an obstacle. He added that during her six months in office, Dolinkova has done nothing to the benefit of patients, only oligarchs. Visolajsky called on Fico to return social policy to health care instead of hardnosed business aims and put the interests of people before those of oligarchs. mf/mcs