Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer) and Health Minister Zuzana Dolinková (Hlas) arrive for the meeting of the Slovak government in Bratislava on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. (source: TASR)
Last week, Health Minister Zuzana Dolinková delivered a speech to mark the 20th anniversary of the National Blood Transfusion Service of Slovakia, which has since sparked amusement across social media. In her address, Dolinková quoted Bram Stoker, the author of the iconic vampire novel “Dracula”, or so she believed.
“Blood is life. And this sentence captures the essence of what you do,” she stated.
TV reporter Martina Töröková shared a humorous video of the incident on her Instagram, which quickly went viral. Dolinková’s use of the phrase “Blood is life” has drawn criticism for its inappropriateness, given that Dracula is a character who kills for blood. Moreover, the quote originates from the character itself rather than the Irish author.
This apparent faux pas, which seems to have stemmed from the use of modern technology by someone involved in crafting the speech, has coincided with a troubling period for another minister, Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenický, who said last week that books, as such, are bought by wealthier people in Slovakia. In this way, he justified a VAT increase on books, from 10 percent to 23 percent.
PM Fico threatens Dolinková
Dolinková, a member of the Hlas coalition party, is facing not only public backlash but also criticism from her coalition partners, including PM Robert Fico and Andrej Danko, leader of the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS). Fico has indirectly threatened her with dismissal, stating that Dolinková bears full responsibility for health care and must propose measures to help consolidate public finances, a significant portion of which is allocated to health services.
“If the health minister cannot manage this, then someone else will have to,” Fico remarked last Friday.
The Fico government unveiled consolidation measures last week, which included a slower increase in wages for healthcare employees. While they were set to receive a 9.66 percent salary increase next year, the government has proposed reducing this to just 3 percent, a decision that has met with fierce opposition from health professionals.
“This means that in reality, there will be no increase, as inflation is also estimated to be around 3 percent,” health analyst Jana Ježíková told state broadcaster STVR.
Opposition MPs want to remove Dolinková
On Tuesday, the health parliamentary committee failed to convene to discuss the motion for the dismissal of Dolinková. The motion was initiated by opposition MPs. They have condemned the minister for the situation at Trenčín hospital, managerial failures in projects funded by the recovery plan, and for the poor financial performance of the state-run health insurance company.
In January, Minister Dolinková was criticised for taking a photo with a premature baby during her visit to a hospital in eastern Slovakia.
