Válek reviews tenure as health minister

At a press conference on Thursday, outgoing Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09) said the main challenges of his four-year term had been Covid-19, the impact of the war in Ukraine, the Czech EU Council presidency and stabilising the pharmaceutical market during global medicine shortages. He admitted it had been a mistake not to push through the so-called “patient choice”, which would allow patients to pay extra for certain treatments.

Health unions and the Czech Medical Chamber argue he is leaving the sector in worse shape that when he stepped in, citing funding problems and shortages of doctors and nurses. His successor, Adam Vojtěch (ANO), has also warned about the growing deficit in public health insurance and raised concerns about several laws due to take effect in January that were introduced under Válek.