AROUND 39 percent of Slovaks have bribed a doctor in the past five years. Some of those have resorted to bribery at several times. The MVK agency poll, carried out on behalf of the daily SME, reveals that the elderly and those on low incomes are most likely to bribe a doctor.
The reason appears to be a lack of money for medicine. Sixty-nine percent of pensioners said they do have enough money for medicine and 53 percent said the price of medicine is not affordable to them at all.
The MVK survey was the first such survey since health reforms were implemented.
Health Ministry spokesman Karol Farkašovský told SME that it was unfair and unsuitable to say that any group had been “endangered” because of the reforms.
"There are about 4,200 types of medicine for which people either do not have to pay at all or must make a contribution of only Sk20(€0.51)," he said.
According to Farkašovský, the Health Ministry is preparing a project of "social healthcare" that should solve some problems stemming from the effects of health reform.
Compiled by Marta Ďurianová from press reports
TheSlovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the informationpresented in its Flash News postings.
