WEBVTT

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Hello. Today,
the Government passed the Decree

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on carrying out medical services
during the strike. Minister of Health

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Valentina Prevolnik Rupel
will present it.

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Madam Minister, go ahead.
-Thank you. Hello.

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The Government passed
the decree which defines

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medical services that have to be
carried out during the strike.

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We are talking about the services
where the urgency stage

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is very fast, services for vulnerable
groups, such as the disabled

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who have been
discriminated against.

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Medical and sickness certificates
have to be issued,

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patients have to be sent for further
treatment and the information

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on the condition
of residents of nursing homes

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and social welfare institutions has
to be available and all the services

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needed to claim the benefits from
social insurance have to be provided.

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We want to protect
people and their rights

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defined in the Constitution.

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You have reported
on a restricted access to check-ups

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for the disabled people who cannot
extend their driver's licences.

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With these restrictions,
their mobility is prevented

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and they cannot be integrated
in work and society.

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Their standard
and quality of life

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get worse.
The strike cannot be

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a legitimate reason
to not provide these services.

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Family members
of nursing home residents

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have also asked us for help
because they cannot get

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the information on their parents,
which causes

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huge worries for them.

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We included this
in the Decree as well.

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According to the Decree,
patients with very fast referrals

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have to be treated as well.

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Considering the strike
has been going on for seven weeks

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and we cannot know
when it will end,

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some serious damage
could be done to patients

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if these services
are not provided.

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I realise the right to strike
is important, but it has to be

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proportional
and must not outweigh other rights

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granted by the Constitution,
such as the right to healthcare

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and social security,

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especially not
for the most vulnerable people

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like the disabled and elderly.
Thank you.

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Thank you, Madam Minister.

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Any questions? Go ahead.

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Nastja Stopar, TV Slovenija. Could
you tell us more about the Decree?

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Where is the limit
and does the Decree not interfere

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with doctors' right
to strike?

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Do you have the information
where it will be the worst tomorrow,

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in which hospitals they
will need additional staff?

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The Government Office
for Legislation checked the Decree.

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The legislative basis
is solid.

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We have to respect
all the rights

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granted by the Constitution.

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The Constitutional Court will surely
recognise our care for the disabled

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and other vulnerable groups.

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And your second question.

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The information on how many doctors
withdrew their consensus

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and how many have changed their
mind, have been gathered daily.

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We are still analysing it.

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We get the information daily.

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Today or tomorrow,
we will have the final analysis.

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But you probably know
in which hospitals

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the shortage
will be the worst?

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We are still gathering
the information.

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We will have it
today or tomorrow.

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Thank you. Domen, go ahead.

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Domen Anderle, STA.
First, I want to ask

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when the Decree
is coming into force.

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It comes into force a day after it
is published in the Official Gazette

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of the Republic of Slovenia.
-Which will be today? -Yes.

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Yesterday,
you and the trade union president

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Dr. Polh mentioned the possibility
of mediation. I want to know

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when you last spoke
to the trade union

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and when the negotiations
will continue.

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As far as the mediation goes,

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have you been talking
about it more seriously?

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Who could be the mediator?

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The last negotiations
took place last Thursday.

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The next are
planned for Tuesday.

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On Monday and yesterday,
we talked to the whole public sector

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and on Wednesday, with the healthcare
sector. About the mediation.

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We are open to everything,
we just want to find a solution.

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Hence the suggestions.

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Both sides are still considering
who the mediator should be.

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But there are
quite a few possibilities.

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So you gave this idea
during the negotiations?

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Did you decide on mediation
together with Fides?

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No, this idea was not mentioned
at the last meeting

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I and the Prime Minister
took part in.

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It came up yesterday,
from both sides at the same time.

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I think this is one of the
possible solutions going forward.

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You're expanding
the set of health services

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doctors will have to perform
during the strike.

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Do you have
the most recent information

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regarding violations
of the rules so far?

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Has the Health Inspectorate
found any major violations,

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have there been any fines,

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how many deviations
have been found so far?

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I don't have
this information right now.

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The inspectorate is at work,

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but of course, this decree
is our response to all violations

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and to all reports
that came to the ministry.

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This influenced the set of services
we covered in the decree.

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Thank you.
Metka, go ahead.

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Maybe it's a hypothetical
question, but...

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This decree covers
the most necessary services.

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No one goes to the doctor
without having health issues.

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If it is not treated in time,

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their condition
can quickly deteriorate.

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How much information
do you have at the moment

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about the harm done
to patients during this time?

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Now...
-Were you here?

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The strike
didn't cause any harm,

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because the work continued.

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Urgent medical care
was provided,

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as was continuous health care.

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So we don't have this information,
there was no direct damage,

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except in those cases
where there was a violation

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of some rights that are
stipulated by the Constitution.

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We adopted the decree
to prevent this.

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Yes, I understand, but no one
goes to the doctor without a reason.

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Even if a certain condition
was not urgent,

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it could have become urgent
during this time.

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How will you measure
the effect of this stalemate

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that has been going on
for so long?

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I don't quite understand
your question.

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It's a bit of a philosophical one.

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If the condition
is urgent or if it deteriorates,

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the patient must
absolutely go to the doctor.

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They can't know that
if they have a regular referral

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or if they can't get to their doctor,
because they're officially not at risk.

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This has always been the case.
If they have a regular referral

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and their condition deteriorates,
their doctor changes the referral.

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That's why we have triage
and the whole process.

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This remains the same.

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I just want your comment
on the impact the current situation

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will have on the overall state
of Slovenian public health.

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Look, this is as follows.

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The level of urgency
of treating the patient

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is adjusted
to the patient's health condition.

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If their condition worsens,
they go to the doctor.

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If the doctor judges that their
health condition has worsened,

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they will change the level
of urgency of the referral.

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I'm interested in numbers.

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If the doctors will now
work 40 plus 8 hours,

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will this decree make it possible
to exceed this number?

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Will the doctors
be allowed to work more hours? -No.

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No? -No.
-So in accordance

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with the withdrawals of their
consent for overtime work,

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the work will go on unchanged?
-Yes.

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The decree only
defines the services

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doctors will have
to provide even during a strike.

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It doesn't deal with
exceeding the hours.

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The decree defines
the range of medical services

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which doctors must
perform during the strike.

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Anyone else here? We have
a question over Zoom, Planet TV.

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Hello, I'm Petra Cankar
from Planet TV.

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As we know and your PR person
told us last week,

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you were supposed
to be on holiday this week.

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Why did you decide
to take a holiday this week

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when healthcare is under pressure
due to the doctors' strike?

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Why did you decide
to end the holiday early?

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My absence on Monday
certainly did not affect

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the operation
of the entire healthcare system.

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I was absent on Monday,

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because my presence
at the Government meeting,

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the extraordinary Government meeting
for healthcare was not crucial.

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Why not? Because
all the measures that were accepted

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at the Government meeting on Monday
were prepared on Friday.

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Thank you.
Any other questions?

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If there are no more questions,
thank you, Minister. -Thank you.