The head of the independent Health-Care Supervisory Authority (ÚDZS) Ján Gajdoš, who had been in office since August 2010, stepped down from his post on Wednesday, June 27, the TASR newswire learnt.
Gajdoš said that he wanted to show his disagreement with an amendment to the health-insurance law that introduces new conditions for dismissing the head of ÚDZS. While previous legislation only allowed the government to dismiss the head if he had been convicted of a crime or stripped of his legal powers, the new legislation makes it possible for the government to dismiss him for any reason.
"The ÚDZS chair is practically becoming a subordinate of the health minister, which means that the ÚDZS is no longer independent," said Gajdoš, adding that the ÚDZS is no longer able to engage in unbiased supervision over state health-insurer Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (VšZP) and state health-care providers. Gajdoš was dismissed from the same post during Robert Fico's first government (2006-10).
"I refuse to take part in the same scenario as in 2007. I view it as political hypocrisy, because the decision on my dismissal was made a long time ago and I don't want to be there when they are looking for fabricated reasons," Gajdoš asserted.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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