Doctors in Žilina hospital started filing resignations en masse concerning the emergency service at 14:00 on Thursday, December 6, in protest at the firing of their colleagues. The Health Ministry at one point considered evacuating patients, the Sme daily wrote in its Friday issue.
Peter Visolajský, the head of the Slovak medical unions, said that the doctors had chosen to give notice in solidarity with 11 colleagues sacked from the orthopaedic ward and also in protest at army doctors being used in their place. On Thursday evening, negotiations between the hospital management and the unions led to an initial agreement: the head of the hospital will not lay off the orthopaedic doctors and in return they will agree to salary cuts.
Visolajský commented that he would not rule out resignations from the emergency service over the next year in other hospitals, too. Since Wednesday, soldiers have been working at Žilina hospital to fill in for the sacked doctors. According to Defence Minister Martin Glváč, they could serve beyond the end of this year.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
