Sasko: Only Two from 19 Demands of Doctors' Trade Union Still Open

(TA3, 'V politike', December 14) Only two from the 19 demands submitted by the Doctors Trade Union (LOZ) in December remain open, while the others either have been settled, or there's a clear plan for their fulfilment in the first quarter of 2025, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) said on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday. "The remaining two issues are salaries and a new national hospital," said Sasko. He said that he sent out an open letter in this spirit not only to the doctors' trade union, but also to directors of healthcare facilities throughout Slovakia and to doctors themselves on Sunday. He expects LOZ to take a clear position on the issue of salaries by Monday (December 16). "A clear public statement whether it is about salaries or not, and if so, in what form and what do they require to be willing to withdraw their resignations," said Sasko. He expects a demand regarding the construction of a new national hospital to be clearly stipulated as well. Sasko is ready to submit both of them to the government session on Wednesday (December 18), offering space for official negotiations to LOZ a day earlier. Parliamentary health committee member Tomas Szalay (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS), also on the show, believes that the minister manages to agree with the doctors' trade union. However, he understands the doctors' position. "They are disappointed that this government unilaterally backed away from the memorandum agreed upon in 2022," he said. He admitted that the memorandum signed by then premier Eduard Heger in 2022 was 'a mess'. "However, the current government should not have unilaterally withdrawn from it and it should be a prime-ministerial issue. with Prime Minister Robert Fico engage in it," stressed Szalay. Sasko pointed out that there were continuous intensive negotiations, however, he sees "more and more politicking" behind the actions of LOZ head Petr Visolajsky. He therefore wants to address doctors directly, as many of them have been artificially dragged into the conflict. The two participants in the debate concurred that the most endangered ones in this tense situation are patients, who remain sidetracked. However, they differ in their opinion on the adopted legislation on the availability of health care reacting to the threat of doctors' mass resignations. While the minister views it as a necessary plan B and a tool providing a solution in the event of a crisis situation, Szalay sees it as an intimidating element and a signal of the government's unwillingness to negotiate with doctors about their demands. ko