Snina Hospital Launches New Equipment, MRI Plans Advance

Snina/Bratislava, 25 June (TASR) - The Snina hospital (Presov region) officially put into operation new medical equipment on Thursday purchased through Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan, with the hospital having received €338,250 for a new ultrasound machine and a C-arm imaging system and, on the occasion, House chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) said the hospital should also acquire an MRI scanner in the future. "I would like to ask the health minister to do everything possible to ensure that this hospital receives the device which, once installed, will mean the hospital lacks nothing," declared Rasi. He added that the investments will provide high-quality healthcare directly in the region, which he described as crucial for preventing population outflow. Hospital director Andrej Kulan said preparations for the MRI project were already under way. According to him, the hospital is consulting specialists on the selection of the most suitable scanner. "We are discussing which device would be most appropriate for the entire region. As regards space and staffing requirements, we have essentially completed the preparations," he noted, adding that only after expert consultations will it be possible to determine the specific type of scanner. Health Minister Kamil Saska said securing an MRI scanner will be a major step in the development of the municipal hospital and pointed out that such an investment would exceed €1 million. "We need to work on finding a way to bring investment here," he said. He added that although the state has limited options for direct capital investment in municipal hospitals, solutions, including a combination of loans and grants, could be found. These would, however, require a proactive approach from the hospital. At its away-from-home session on Wednesday (24 June), the government also approved a total of €200,000 in healthcare support for the Snina and Medzilaborce regions. Of this amount, €50,000 has been allocated to the Snina hospital for the purchase of a gastroscope and colonoscope, while a further €150,000 will go to Medzilaborce for healthcare equipment. "This entire investment, both the first and the second, is an excellent investment for all patients, not only from the Snina region but also from the Humenne and Medzilaborce regions," Kulan said. mf