Nurses were protesting in front of the hospital in Prešov. (source: SITA)
Moreover, about 100 nurses met before the hospital carrying the banners with which they wanted to show their dissatisfaction with the current situation in health care, the SITA newswire reported.
The notice period of nearly 340 nurses will expire in the end of January, said Gabriela Nováková of the trade unions association of nurses and midwives in Prešov. Most of them work at the anaesthesiology and intensive care units, central operating rooms, vascular surgery, surgery, traumatology, psychiatric ward and several departments of the Children’s Teaching Hospital.
The problems at the intensive care department of the children’s hospital resulted in it being closed down and children being moved to other wards, as reported by SITA.
Renáta Cenková, spokesperson for the Prešov hospital, described the current state as critical, pointing to the steep increase of sick leaves and leaves taken to take care for family members. She, however, assured the patients that the treatment in the hospital will be secured and their health will not be threatened, SITA wrote.
If the nurses do not change their mind, the hospital will have to adopt changes to its organisation. This change is currently being discussed with the Health Ministry, Cenková said, without specifying the details.
She also claimed that before the nurses handed in their notices, they had guaranteed them the same payment conditions as before the law had been adopted, a salary hike after three years, as well as including the years spent on maternity leave into the practice, as reported by SITA.
Health Minister Viliam Čislák meanwhile, confirmed that health treatment in the hospital is secured. He also showed his surprise at how many nurses did not go to work.
He further said that the ministry has already registered 547 withdrawn notices and 125 new nurses who started working in hospitals. According to him, 716 nurses are still in notice period.
The Freedom and Solidary (SaS) party meanwhile, said it is ready to summon a special session if the government fails to stabilise the situation in health care and hundreds of nurses leave the hospitals, as reported by SITA.
