Health Minister Zuzana Zvolenská faces a no-confidence motion in parliament during the October 24 afternoon parliamentary session, as summoned by the Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška. The opposition initiated the vote, though it does not have enough vote so succeed. Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Zvolenská enjoys his confidence, adding that he views the extraordinary session as a waste of time and a “nasty spectacle”.
The opposition has criticised Zvolenská over tenders for licences for helicopter emergency services in Bratislava and Trenčín late, leaving a five day window where there were no such services. The life of a woman who died in a car accident in Bratislava Region during this period allegedly could have been saved if rescue helicopters had been able to attend, the TASR newswire wrote.
Freedom and Solidarity-SaS Chairman Richard Sulík told a press conference that there were many reasons to recall Zvolenská and that she generally failed to manage the ministry. “She failed the increase nurses’ salaries which ended in a strike, and then there is the mismanagement of several dozens millions of euros in the Bratislava hospital,” Sulík said as quoted by the SITA newswire.
“The findings of the parliamentary investigation show beyond all doubts that the tender committee of the ministry flawed, top officials neglected their duties and it is evident that Minister Zvolenská has not acted when she should have done so,” Slovak Christian and Democratic Union-SDKÚ Vice-chairman Viliam Novotný said last week when the opposition filed the proposal for recalling her.
The government insists recalling of Zvolenská is part of an election campaign, SITA wrote, and denies any connection between the fatal accident from September 13 in which a woman aged 39 was seriously injured and needed expert treatment in Bratislava but did not reach the capital on time.
(Source: TASR, SITA)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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