Krajci: Hospital investment debt at least EUR 1.5 bn

The most optimistic estimates quantify the investment debt of Slovak hospitals at 1.5 billion euros, although some expect figures up to 3 billion euros, Health Minister Marek Krajci (OLaNO) said on Wednesday. "We need to eliminate the large debt at the end, seeing as the distraint amnesty for health facilities is to terminate by the end of this year, if the Constitutional Court won't rule otherwise. Therefore, an enormous challenge lies before the Finance Minister [Eduard Heger] and I to find a way to prevent our health facilities and pivotal hospitals slipping into distraint proceedings," claimed Krajci.