Health Ministry to launch optimisation of hospital network

The Health Ministry has a major health care reform on its table, planning to start optimising the hospital network, Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarský (an OĽaNO nominee) said on Wednesday, stressing that hospitals would not be closed. The minister pointed out that the recovery plan is conditional on the optimisation of the hospital network. The patient's entitlement is defined, that is what type of health care the patient should receive, at what distance from home, until what time from the indication, under what conditions and in what quality. According to the ministry, the system will be set up so that patients will have a guarantee of time availability. At the same time, however, they will have the option of choosing a health care provider. Hospital levels will be defined through the care provided and not according to expertise.