Archive of articles - February 2004

Poll shows support for referendum

US Embassy fence causes Bratislava protest

Slovak army to hire 3,500 new staff

Curing privately

PRIVATE medical centres began to come into existence as an alternative to state hospitals and doctors in the mid 1990s. Although many patients and physicians now appreciate the individual healthcare approach they provide, centres still face legislative barriers.The Slovak public and physicians themselves initially accepted the private medical centres with scepticism. People had almost no experience with private doctors and they considered them an unaffordable medical service."Of course we have been met with scepticism.

Reader feedback: Slovak's ticking bomb

Girls just wanna have fun

WOMEN from far and wide travel on Shrove Tuesday each year to Ivanka pri Dunaji, a small municipality near Bratislava. They come to celebrate the end of the Shrovetide period in their own way: They, the women, are in charge of whom to invite to dance.The event, fittingly called Babská (Girls'), starts at 8:00 in the morning and ends at 16:00 with a symbolic burial of a double bass

Design trends displayed in Nitra

PART of the Furniture and Living Style Fair, which regularly takes place in the southern Slovak town of Nitra, is the exhibition Design Forum. The event displays the latest trends in Slovak professional furniture design, as well as student work.

A new mixture

Elixír 14Where: Štefániková 14, BratislavaTel: 02/5249-9849Open: Monday to Friday 10:00-22:00,Saturday and Sunday 11:00-22:00English menu: YesReservations: YesRating: 7.5 out of 10AT LAST, a real vegetarian sit-down restaurant has opened in Bratislava, one that explores the style in its own right rather than approximating meat or serving standard meals with the meat missing.

Banáš leaves ANO

Muslims in Slovakia work for positive integration

THE SLOVAK Spectator met with Mohamad Safwan Hasna, head of the Islamic Foundation in Slovakia, on February 20 to discuss the problems of the 5,000 Muslims living in Slovakia and the challenges facing the millions of followers of Islam across Europe.Hasna came to the former Czechoslovakia some 12 years ago to study medicine and, aside from heading the Islamic organisation, also works as a judicial translator. His wife is among the roughly 150 Slovaks who are known to have converted to Islam.

Events Countrywide

BRATISLAVAWESTERN SLOVAKIACENTRAL SLOVAKIAEASTERN SLOVAKIA

Best musicians revealed soon

THE WINNERS of the Aurel Awards, the Slovak version of the Grammys, will be announced on March 5. The Academy of Popular Music, comprised of 125 journalists, music experts, and producers, announced the nominations in the award's 11 categories, including the recipient of the 12th prize for lifelong contribution to Slovak musical culture.

KDH fears for family

THE CHRISTIAN Democratic Movement (KDH) is working on a law that would deny state benefits to parents who do not raise children within traditional heterosexual wedlock.The conservative party argues that a family consisting of a man, a woman, and children deserves special protection and those living in something other than a heterosexual partnership should not be granted benefits that the state gives to working spouses who have children.

Reader feedback: Roma complications

Slovakia joins EU ban on US poultry

PSA Peugeot Citroen starts recruitment

Workforce survey

Making savings by the book

ONE of the smaller Slovak health insurance companies decided to run a test in mid 2001 by launching the use of prescription record books among its chronically ill patients. The goal was to make the use of drugs by those who saw multiple specialists more transparent. Not only did the test make medicine use safer, the measure also brought the company significant savings."The initial call for such a record book came from physicians that shared patients that had several diseases and were treated with several types of medicine.

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