HEALTH Minister Rudolf Zajac submitted a report to the cabinet stating that the introduction of a Sk20 (€.50) fee per doctor visit since June this year has caused a decrease in visits to doctors.
According to the report, the number of visits to general practitioners, for example, dropped by 15 percent since fees were introduced.
Patients pay Sk20 per doctor visit and Sk20 for a medical prescription. They are also charged Sk50 (€1.20) for a stay in hospital.
Zajac now plans to cancel the current exceptions to these fees. Patients who are poor and depend on state support do not have to pay the fees.
Zajac thinks that the exceptions are discriminatory to doctors who run their offices in those areas of the country that generally have a higher proportion of socially dependent inhabitants. To compensate poorer patients, Zajac wants to introduce direct health care contributions to these people.
Compiled by Martina Pisárová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
27. Nov 2003 at 9:25
