SaS: We Fear New Tender for Ambulance Services Won't Be Happening Any Time Soon

Bratislava, 11 September (TASR) – The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party has taken potshots at changes concerning the operation of emergency ambulance services (ZZS) that were approved by Parliament on Wednesday (10 September), with SaS warning that the changes have opened the way for Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) to do as he pleases with ambulance services. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, MPs Jana Bitto Ciganikova and Tomas Szalay (both SaS) voiced their concern that a new tender for operating ZZS ambulances may not be launched any time soon. "What was approved in Parliament on Wednesday, despite warnings from the entire opposition, allows the Health Minister, once the six-year ZZS operating licence expires, to appoint any other ambulance provider without any tender, without any criteria and without any additional conditions apart from a sworn declaration. And a word of warning – this could be for an indefinite period, theoretically forever, and without respecting the legally approved market share limit stating that one ZZS provider cannot operate more than 25 percent of ambulance stations," said Szalay. Bitto Ciganikova pointed out that until now, when an operating licence expired, the ministry had to wait for a proper procedure and announce a public tender. "Under the new law, however, the ministry can now choose anyone without a tender, regardless of time or market limits," she noted. She expressed concerns that the tender process may thus be bypassed entirely. "It could easily happen now that someone with good connections gets the job, or that the location is assigned without any competition whatsoever," she added. On Wednesday, Parliament approved a bill on psychological and psychotherapeutic practice. Included in it was an amendment introducing changes related to ambulance services. The amendment adjusts the procedure for revoking or denying permission to operate ZZS ambulances. Under the new rules, the Health Ministry will be allowed, in cases where it revokes a provider's licence, to temporarily assign the operation of the site to another provider already holding a licence. The Health Minister previously defended the proposal, saying that it merely clarifies what is already present in current legislation. mf/df