Addressing shortage of general practitioners

On Monday, the Health Ministry acknowledged that Slovakia's situation with general practitioners for both adults and children is challenging and it is working to address it. The ministry highlighted the importance of positively influencing medical students to stabilize the situation. To this end, ministry experts visit medical faculties in Slovakia every six months to engage directly with students. They stressed that recruiting new young doctors is crucial, as current measures alone are insufficient. An essential part of their strategy includes a revised residency program, which allows medical students to work in outpatient clinics during their studies. Additionally, general practitioners can apply for funding from a €10 million recovery and resilience plan aimed at regions with the greatest need. This funding is expected to establish 120 new clinics for both adults and children. Earlier, Jozef Bozik, head of the Association of Slovak Towns and Villages (ZMOS), reported that over 280,000 people in Slovakia lack access to general practitioners, with the situation worsening. The association has called for effective mechanisms to stabilize the availability of general practitioners.

Source: TASR