The mass resignations by almost 2,500 doctors all over the country at the end of September will not be withdrawn, and their trade union LOZ is demanding that the transformation of hospitals into joint stock companies be halted after the government fell last week.
This was one of their initial demands, as they feel that hospitals would operate more like businesses at the expense of patient care. LOZ chairman Marian Kollar said it wouldn’t be right to continue with the process, while they themselves still plan to go ahead with the resignations, unlike teachers, who have put their protests on hold given the current state of limbo in the country.
The transformation of hospitals looks set to be stopped, though, thanks probably to opposition party Smer-SD via its former health minister Richard Rasi, who plans to block it should the process continue. That would be one problem out of the way, but doctors are also demanding better pay conditions and more money for healthcare in general. It is not quite clear now, though, who they are protesting to, as nobody is running the country.