Svrcek and Bitto Ciganikova Disagree in Issue of Hospital Reform

(RTVS, 'O pat minut dvanast', October 17) Coalition MPs Jana Bitto Ciganikova (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) and Milos Svrcek (We Are Family) disagree in the issue of the hospital reform. Speaking on RTVS's discussion programme 'O pat minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday, Svrcek talked about depopulation of regions. Bitto Ciganikova objected she hasn't heard any reservations from the We Are Family party until its leader Boris Kollar didn't announce in a region that he wouldn't support the reform. However, the two MPs agreed there's no need to announce the state of emergency for now. Svrcek said that the Government committed itself in its manifesto to do its best to prevent the outflow of people from regions and to enhance their development. He claims that reforms have been dully communicated neither with partners, nor with health professionals or hospitals. Bitto Ciganikova claims that experts do support the reform and that the ministry has been communicating with regions and hospitals [about it]. She declared that not a single hospital will be cancelled and that changes will only hit some wards. She views the current situation in the post-surgery care as poor just because of the lack of beds, which should be resolved by the reform. Bitto Ciganikova denied that waiting periods should be prolonged due to the reform. She views statements by We Are Family and the opposition as unfortunate and talks about scaremongering of people. She stressed that the hospital network optimisation map isn't yet available. Independent MP operating in the extra-parliamentary Voice-SD party Richard Rasi, who was also on the show, claims that the reform envisages scrapping of 38 percent of acute beds and that experts criticise it as well. According to him, the reform has been prepared from a green table and not in cooperation with health-care providers and regions. He noted that the availability of hospital wards for people, employment, as well as other aspects need to be considered when making changes. Rasi insists that the reform prepared during Peter Pellegrini's Government was different. MP Martin Belusky (LSNS) underlined that the way in which it was communicated is as important as the reform itself. If the coalition partners haven't discussed it with each other, he does not know how they want to persuade people about it. He said that LSNS needs documents on the reform to be able to comment on it. ko