Doctors raise objections to draft reform

The Czech Out-Patient Specialists Association today addressed an open letter to members of the lower house asking them to soften the sanction doctors would face for not demanding cash payments from patients while debating the government draft public finance reform. A week ago the government coalition approved the reform proposals by Health Minister Tomas Julinek. The out-patient specialists say in the letter that a 50,000 crown sanction envisioned in Mr Julinek's proposals is too high. They say doctors cannot bear the responsibility for patients' refusal to pay, they can only ask them to pay. The law should therefore set down the obligation for doctors' to request cash payments, but not to collect them. Under the reform, patients are to pay 30 crowns per doctor visit and per prescription, 60 crowns for each day in hospital, and 90 crowns for emergency treatment.

Former health minister and chairman of the Chamber of Deputies health committee David Rath said on Friday that he considered patients' cash payments - and the high sanction set down for doctors - unconstitutional. He added if the reform was passed and signed by the president, he would file a constitutional complaint against this part of the law.