ASL: No Mention of Outpatient Departments in Draft Budget

Bratislava, October 14 (TASR) - Head of the Private Doctors Association (ASL) Marian Soth has criticised the fact that the draft state budget for next year doesn't even mention the outpatient sector, warning that it will disappear if there are no financial resources for it, TASR learnt from Soth himself before his meeting on Monday with Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD), with whom he also wants to speak about this issue. The government is expected to discuss the draft budget on Tuesday (October 15). "As representatives of the Association of Employers' Unions as well, we've come here after an Economic and Social Council meeting, and on behalf of the Private Doctors Association, I must say that in the budget for 2025 there isn't even any mention of the outpatient sector, which we also pointed to at the social council meeting, noting that the outpatient sector has been erased," said Soth. The ASL head warned that without funding, the outpatient sector will disappear and the whole health-care sector will cease to exist. "When we take into account that more than 60 percent of health care is provided via the outpatient sector, hospitals won't be able to deal with this," stated the association chief. am/df