The healthcare labour market has been causing turmoil recently with the threat of a brain drain from the Czech and Slovak republics over money.
In Slovakia, an analysis of the situation has led the Ministry of Health to announce that the salaries of doctors in Slovakia should be hiked up. The Ministry plans to help cover the additional costs by charging health insurance companies more for medical services and possibly by spreading the use of supplementary insurance.
Health minister Ivan Uhliarik says a complete study of the health sector in Slovakia with recommendations should be presented in May and then they would look for ways to improve the remuneration of medical workers.
One motivation for increasing the salaries of doctors in Slovakia are the recent developments in the Czech Republic, following the “Thanks, but we are leaving” protest of doctors. It forced the Czech government to cough up some CZK 5,000-8,000 more for monthly salaries, and so now healthcare trade unions in Slovakia worry that Slovak doctors will start slipping across the border.