SLOVAKIA | Medical | Health System
1. Key features of the healthcare system
Emergency medical service is “free of charge” in the Slovak Republic. This service is based on public health insurance. For foreigners emergency medical service will be provided free of charge if the patient can show an insurance document valid in EU countries and also in some other contracting countries, e.g., the European insurance card for EU countries, Serbia, Norway, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and Iceland based on reciprocal agreements and contracts with the Slovak Republic. In case a foreigner cannot show a valid health insurance document of the given countries, he/she has to pay for the emergency medical service to the health care provider. Besides the public health insurance, it is appropriate to have commercial health insurance for cases of sudden illness, treatment or transportation. In the event emergency medical service is provided, the transportation to the hospital or from one hospital to another by an ambulance is a part of this service on the territory of the Slovak Republic. There are special provisions for payments for medical services that are not considered an emergency medical service.
2. Particular features of the system relating to emergency medical care
Emergency medical service in the Slovak Republic is provided by ambulances without a doctor (a so-called “paramedic team”, ambulances with a doctor, and ambulances with a helicopter rescue medical service. The emergency medical service is free of charge if the above-stated conditions are met. The emergency medical service phone number, the so-called national number, is 155. It is also possible to use the international emergency number 112.
3. Significant constraints on the availability of emergency medical care
There is a dense network of hospitals in the Slovak Republic. A thorough medical service is generally provided by larger hospitals located in larger cities in the region. Besides this, there are four hospitals providing thorough specialised medical care for children and six hospitals which provide specialised cardiological health care.
4. Different roles and responsibilities of staff working in emergency medical care
The emergency service medical team in an ambulance is responsible for providing urgent medical care aimed at sustaining vital body functions of a patient (consciousness, breathing, blood circulation and stanch extensive bleeding), i.e., stabilizing the patient before he/she is brought to a hospital. The medical team in the ambulance has competencies according to their educational attainments, i.e., from basic treatments, sustaining vital body functions, resuscitation (in particular, teams without a doctor) to the administration of a wide variety of medicaments (in particular, teams with a doctor).
5. Cultural or religious issues
There are not any specific cultural or religious issues that would influence the practice of providing emergency medical service. If a treated person has no legal capacity, e.g. children, prisoners, or an adult, who was deprived of legal acts (mental disability), the presence of a counsellor is required. Emergency medical service would accept requirements of a patient in case he/she is conscious.
6. Form of Address
In Slovakia doctors address their patients formally, e.g., Mr/Mrs and family name and usually behave stiffly.