ZMOS: Unavailable Health Care Could Impact Society Long-Term

Bratislava, December 19 (TASR) - The Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS) is concerned about the situation in the health-care sector, warning there could be long-term negative impacts on society if hospital care becomes unavailable, so the association has appealed to all sides involved to avoid an escalation in conflict and to seek ways to ensure that quality health care will continue to be provided, TASR has learnt from ZMOS director Zuzana Spacekova. "If the current situation in hospitals continues to worsen, it will threaten to weaken the system not only in terms of providing health care, but also in the teaching and training of future general practitioners and pediatricians, who are already unavailable in many regions today," stated ZMOS chairman Jozef Bozik. More than 3,300 doctors from hospitals across Slovakia have filed resignation notices in a show of displeasure with the situation prevailing in health care. They are willing to withdraw them if the government starts meeting their demands. They first and foremost insist that the points of a memorandum from 2022 should be met. The notice period for doctors will expire on December 31. Both the Health Ministry and the Medical Trade Union (LOZ) have declared their interest in reaching an agreement as soon as possible. lin/df