ANS: Hospitals May Trigger Crisis Plan If No Agreement on Funding Reached

Bratislava, 16 March (TASR) - The Slovak Hospitals Association (ANS) has again criticised the Health Ministry's programme decree for 2026, warning that it doesn't reflect hospitals' actual needs when it comes to financing salary increases covered by law, ANS told TASR on Monday, adding that if no agreement is reached during upcoming talks with health-insurers, hospitals might activate a crisis plan. "We believe that as the Health Ministry has confirmed €135 million as the amount needed by ANS, with most of it intended for salaries covered by law, the programme decree should have reflected this year-on-year increase," stated ANS first vice-president Igor Pramuk. The association is set to hold talks with all three health-insurance companies on Wednesday (18 March) to discuss financing for the upcoming period. "We believe an agreement will be reached and that hospitals will receive the funds that the state requires them to pay in health-care workers' salaries," added Pramuk. However, ANS warned that should the talks fail, a crisis plan is ready, and member hospitals will be asked to approve its activation. "Ensuring that hospitals operate in a stable manner and that health-care workers' salaries are paid as guaranteed by law shouldn't depend only on our efforts; this needs to be treated as a fundamental priority by the Health Ministry," said Pramuk, expressing hope that a solution will be found at the negotiating table. jrg/df