LOZ Welcomes Fico's Promises on Hospital Transformation, But Words Not Enough

Bratislava, October 31 (TASR) - The Doctors Trade Union (LOZ) welcomes Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) statement that the transformation of hospitals into joint-stock companies is not on the table, but the union would like to ascertain the extent to which the government really means this at a negotiating table, said LOZ head Peter Visolajsky on Thursday. Similarly, LOZ would like to discuss every message that Health Minister Kamil Sasko sent them via the media in direct talks. "Last Friday, we asked minister Sasko for a meeting, but no talks have been held with us since then. Sending messages via the media is not a dialogue. We're ready to come to talks any time. The moment the prime minister calls, we'll come, and at a discussion at the negotiating table go through these media messages that we've received," underlined Visolajsky. Visolajsky added that more than 3,000 doctors at hospitals across Slovakia have already filed their resignation notices. "Let me warn you that notices will continue to pour in throughout the month of November as well because some doctors have only a one-month severance period," he said. According to the LOZ head, the high number of resignations serves as evidence that doctors care primarily about making changes to the health-care system and aren't pursuing salary increases. He reiterated that LOZ insists that the promises in a 2022 memorandum should be kept. mf/df