“The Medical Chamber of Slovenia is following the statements made recently by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Robert Golob, in relation to doctors and the functioning of the Slovenian healthcare system, with great concern. We never imagined that we would witness a time when the medical profession, which has been taking care of the health and lives of people in this country for decades, would be the target of such undignified and trivial attacks, and this coming from the highest representative of the authorities in Slovenia,” wrote the Medical Chamber of Slovenia.
“The latest statement in which the Prime Minister refers to doctors as “parasites” is deeply inappropriate, offensive, and exceeds the limits of what is acceptable in public communication,” the Slovenian Medical Chamber wrote. In their opinion, this kind of language is completely irresponsible, as it deepens distrust in the healthcare system, undermines the reputation of doctors, and does not contribute to finding solutions to the serious problems that Slovenian healthcare faces on a daily basis. The Medical Chamber firmly rejects such accusations, which cast a shadow of doubt on all doctors.
Doctors carry out their work professionally, responsibly and with dedication
Doctors in Slovenia carry out their work with professionalism, responsibility and dedication, often in extremely challenging conditions, with long working hours and without sufficient systemic solutions. Most of those who work in their spare time, after their regular jobs, also work in other healthcare institutions, at institutions with concession, or in private clinics, often ensuring that the healthcare system continues to operate at all – even at night, on weekends and holidays, and in the most remote places in Slovenia, the Chamber pointed out.
It is these doctors who provide many patients with timely access to emergency and specialist treatment. It is worth recalling that the Minister of Health, Dr Valentina Prevolnik Rupel, herself pointed out that in the last few months, they have noticed a reduction in waiting times, which coincides with a time when, according to some interpretations, it was the “double work” of doctors that was harming the public healthcare system. It is therefore all the more inappropriate and disrespectful that these many dedicated individuals, who often save lives in the most difficult circumstances, should be subjected to such insulting labels.
If anyone has abused the system, they should be reported to the competent authorities
The Chamber also wrote: “We would like to reiterate that we at the Medical Chamber advocate zero tolerance for any irregularities, abuse or unethical behaviour anywhere in the system.” Each misconduct must be dealt with individually, on the basis of the facts and in accordance with the law. If there is actually a case of a doctor allegedly abusing the system, they expect this case to be reported to the competent institutions, in order for it to be dealt with in accordance with the procedures in place, which is the responsibility of anyone who notices and draws attention to something like that.
Such accusations are totally unacceptable!
It cannot be a standard of action and communication to make such accusations, without evidence and in a frivolous manner, against the entire medical profession, more than nine thousand active doctors. “We rightly expect the same standards of accountability for all those who work within the public system or benefit from public funds – not only in the healthcare sector, but also in other parts of the public sector and the economy,” they further wrote. They are aware of their responsibilities as a trade union and therefore want and expect a constructive and respectful dialogue between all stakeholders, including representatives of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia.
They expect an apology for the offensive statements
They also expect an apology for the inappropriate and offensive statements made against the medical profession, as they believe this is the first step towards rebuilding trust and establishing respectful cooperation. They believe that only through cooperation, respect and reasoned debate can they find solutions that will benefit their patients and the Slovenian healthcare system as a whole. The Medical Chamber of Slovenia remains committed to the values of professionalism, ethics and respect. “We will continue to act in accordance with these values,” they concluded the public letter.
Domen Mezeg
