Health Ministry Approves 250 A/C Units for Hospitals

Bratislava, 30 July (TASR) - Health Ministry has greenlighted an investment to provide up to 250 air conditioning units for key departments in state-run hospitals, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) said on Wednesday. The Association of Slovak Hospitals (ANS) welcomed the investment to improve conditions for patients but criticised the ministry for excluding non-state healthcare facilities. According to Sasko, the investment followed active consultations between the ministry and hospital directors, during which key needs that could be addressed technically were identified. "The condition of our hospitals does not allow such installations everywhere. That is why this immediate measure targets the most critical rooms, wards and operating theatres," Sasko said. He also announced plans to carry out a comprehensive audit of hospitals, to be followed by broader investment. "We will prepare a more systematic solution so that, when the next heatwave comes, perhaps next summer, it can be addressed more effectively," the minister said. The ANS criticised the decision to limit the investment to state-run hospitals. "Patients treated in hospitals outside the ministry's direct control pay the same taxes and social contributions as patients in state-run facilities. They should therefore be entitled to the same basic standards of care, including air conditioning in key departments. If the state finances such measures only for some hospitals, it creates unjustified disparities between patients," ANS First Vice-President Igor Pramuk said. According to the association, the situation is further compounded by the fact that state-run hospitals have long failed to pay social insurance contributions, while the state regularly writes off their debts and provides additional funding. The association called on the government to extend investment support for improving patient conditions to all hospitals, regardless of their ownership or founding authority. "Patients' rights must not depend on who owns the healthcare facility where they are treated," the ANS said. mf