The FIDES Report for the FEMS Assembly, Napoli, May 2019
In autumn, 2018, our new government was elected, as well as our new Health Minister. The health care was placed in the program of the government as a top priority for the solution of problems. The Minister, MD by profession, had up to now mainly leadership positions in the field of health. For along period of time he was General Manager in charge of the Institution for Health Insurance of Slovenia, the institution which collects money and pays health services.
Considering his years long engagement with health care problems and his good knowledge of the health sistem, we expected an immediate response and measures to be taken in order to save our stranded boat from rocks. Our expectations weren`t realised.
We are well aware that there is a great danger of collapse in the system. Many doctors on the primary level are burnt out. They are not given stimulation to perform their work efficently and with a personal satisfaction. There are no proper mechanisems from the part of the personnel management to keep them on their positions. To make things worse the best skilled workers and trained specialists from both University clinic centers are leaving their positions. Our warnings didn`t help to improve the present situation. Nothing worse mentioning happened in the last six months period of time. The Minister was also informed that the resolutions of the Strike Agreement with the former government, from the year 2017, haven`t been realized yet. In such an atmosphere we organized, at the beginning of March 2019, the regular annual conference followed by the new elections. On the conference FIDES offered support and promised help to distressed colleagues, and as a sign of solidarity the following resolution was accepted: from the 1st of June, 2019, all doctors and dentists will start working strictly according to Standards and Normatives for Doctors` Work. This way we will protect the most overloaded colleagues and realize our rights already achieved through painful negotiations, in 2017, and signed in the Collective Agreement. In addition to the already accepted resolutions, FIDES requires from the government the doctors` eliminations from the unitary system of salary payment in the public sector. Namely, our unitary system of payment is a unique example in Europe to use such a payment of wages for all the employers in the public sector doctors included, and consequently to start negotiations in relation with their own system of salary payment for doctors and dentists. Such a system would follow the good example of European practice. In that case the management would be in the position to ensure reward to those doctors and dentists who deserve recognition for their well performed work.
On the conference we elected the Main Board and Supervisory Board. The former president, Dr Konrad Kuštrin was re-elected as president. To our regret, just before the mentioned conference, the Health Minister resigned from his position and we remained without our interlocutor. Unfortunately, the lack of communication between the two parties, the government` s refusal to cooperate with the medical organisations, and the authoritative behaviour of the Health Insurance Institute led to a spontaneous reaction of the family doctors. It is necessary to point out that when the general agreement was accepted for the year 2019, the government and the Health Insurance Institute overlooked the stipulation of the Collective Agreement for doctors and dentists regarding the Standards and Normatives, as well as, the signed agreement between the government and FIDES in November 2016. On account of all these specifications mentioned there is no wonder that it came to such a revolt from the part of family doctors. They threatened mass resignments from contracts of employment. If the problems regarding the assignments of new patients are not resolved in the near future, they might realize their demands in the majority of health care institutions. The other colleagues from primary level, like gynecologists and paediatricians, joined them in their intention. That would be a gradual destruction of the primary health care and serious threat for the health treatment of our inhabitants.
The new elected Health Minister, former general manager of the University Clinic Center in Ljubljana, had to face a really chaotic situation. He took steps immediately and is presently engaged with acute problems of doctors from primary level. He is trying to find “ad hoc” solutions to prevent the doctors` resignments from contracts from employment. In addition, he counts on support from foreign doctors.
Left wing orientated government is not engaged in solving problems and establishing dialogues with the doctors organisations but aims at damaging the reputation of both doctors` syndicates, including FIDES. The request from FIDES in relation with the doctors` elimination from the unitary system of salary payment is considered publicly as an approval for the privatisation of health care.
Now at the end of May problems still remains. The solutions proposed by the government that would satisfy the doctors` to withdraw the resigns are not efficient enough.