Together with Janez Poklukar, the Minister of Health, Prime Minister Janez Janša today visited Maribor University Medical Centre where he met the hospital management and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Maribor.
At the meeting, the discussion partners spoke about the preparations and implementation of investments in healthcare in Maribor University Medical Centre and the Municipality of Maribor. During his visit, the Prime Minister also reviewed the renovated premises of the cardiac surgery department, the oncology department and emergency lifts.
In his press release following the visit, Prime Minister Janša said that he was pleased that for the first time in a long time the meeting did not focus only on COVID-19, but investments and how to develop healthcare in this part of Slovenia. “A strategic act has been adopted recently, which responds to the key challenges of Slovenian healthcare in the future. For the first time in our history, comprehensive resources are provided for the urgently needed investments in healthcare, which for the most part come from European sources.” On that note, he thanked the Minister of Health that preparations for the realisation started immediately after the adoption of the Act, and for the incorporation of projects in the national development programmes, for many of which building permits had already been issued. The Prime Minister also thanked the Director and the Medical Director of Maribor University Medical Centre and the entire team for managing the epidemic. “Maribor University Medical Centre played a critical role. I am pleased that numerous other programmes, which presented problems in other hospitals, continued to be implemented in Maribor and that people were not deprived of healthcare during the pandemic.”
In his press release, the Prime Minister stated that hundreds of millions of euros would be invested in healthcare in Maribor in the coming years, including the Faculty of Medicine, mostly from European funds. In addition, substantial funds are also earmarked for these investments from the budget. Last year’s economic growth, which exceeded eight per cent in real terms, significantly contributed to the reduction of public debt in the gross domestic product, resulting in considerable funds being earmarked for investments in healthcare from domestic sources as well. The Prime Minister continued that he was pleased with the ambitious future programmes of the Faculty of Medicine in Maribor. “The Act earmarks EUR 200 million for both faculties of medicine in Ljubljana and Maribor. These are the resources Slovenia has never had before at a comparable time,” the Prime Minister further stated in the press release.
Source: gov.si
