Penta Hospitals: Establishing Inequality in Hospitals Unacceptable

Bratislava, December 31 (TASR) - Penta Hospitals considers the creation of inequality among employees at its hospitals to be unacceptable, calling draft amendments on changing the employment contracts of the doctors running down their notice periods discriminatory, unsystematic and irresponsible, Penta Hospitals spokesman Tomas Kral told TASR on Monday (December 30). Kral was speaking in response to a statement made by the Medical Trade Union Association (LOZ), which said that the hospital chain in question is refusing to sign contract amendments with doctors on notice, a move that LOZ agreed with the Health Ministry earlier in December. "The individual hospitals of the Penta Hospitals network are gradually registering withdrawals of resignation notices from doctors, which were submitted in accordance with the Labour Code as part of LOZ's protest. Of the 42 resignation notices, only 16 haven't been withdrawn. This number in no way threatens health-care provision in our catchment areas and certainly not in Slovakia," stressed the spokesman. According to Penta Hospitals, the irresponsibility lies in the fact that changes in staff remuneration without financial cover and changes in working arrangements without the necessary legislation cannot be viewed as steps leading to stability in the regional health-care system or a higher level of satisfaction among patients and employees. According to Penta Hospitals, both the Health Ministry and LOZ were fully aware that the procedure (signing amendments to labour contracts) was unenforceable in hospitals that come under a different remit than the state's when they signed the agreement on establishing social conciliation in the health-care sector. The Medical Trade Union Association (LOZ) confirmed for TASR on Monday that there is still a risk that more than 3,300 doctors will stop working as of the New Year, with the reason being that about 20 doctors have still not concluded with Agel and Penta Hospitals amendments to the contracts agreed between LOZ and the Health Ministry. On behalf of the government, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) signed an agreement with LOZ in December on establishing social reconciliation in the health-care sector. In it, the government committed itself to fulfilling a number of the medical trade union's demands. The two sides will also continue to negotiate on disputed points. LOZ was supposed to ensure that doctors withdrew their resignation notices. Based on the contract, hospital doctors should receive salary increases according to the original conditions before financial consolidation was introduced. am/df