Private practitioners say abolition of medical fees in regional hospitals could hurt them

Private practitioners fear they could lose patients if the Social Democrats push through their plan to “abolish” health care fees for all patients in regional hospitals. The introduction of direct payments at medical facilities earlier this year has come under severe criticism from the left-wing parties and the Social Democrats’ promise to “abolish” them at regional hospitals and cover the expenditures from regional coffers is believed to be one of the reasons behind their resounding success in the elections. Health Minister Tomáš Julínek said that even if the fees were unpopular he believed he had been right to introduce them. Private practitioners have threatened to take the matter to the anti-trust office.