WEBVTT

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Hello to the media.
You'll hear a statement

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from Prime Minister
Robert Golob,

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who visited the University
Medical Center today,

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but we'll begin with the Director
General of the Center, Marko Jug,

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followed by a short statement
from the Health Minister.

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Hello and welcome.
We invited you, the Prime Minister,

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and the minister today to tell you
about the progress

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made by the Medical Center
thanks to investments

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by the Health Ministry.

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The Medical Center has not
seen enough realized investments

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over the past two decades,
so we've had large shortfalls

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in diagnostics and other areas.

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Today, we showed you
several acquisitions,

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one of the most significant of which
is the completely overhauled

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diagnostic and therapeutic
facility at the Clinic of Neurology.

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This culminated with the acquisition
of an MRI with 3-Tesla technology,

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which is supported by only six
MRI devices in Europe,

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and we're very proud of that.
This device will enable

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quick detection of degenerative
neurological changes

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and timely treatment
in the future.

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Within the last few weeks,
the University Medical Center

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has acquired three other MRIs
with outstanding features

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in their respective fields.
For instance, they allow

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robotic biopsies of the prostate
and feature other technology

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that had not been
available in Slovenia.

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In addition to upgrades
in diagnostics,

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we showed our guests our new
angiography device, which became

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the first step of the upgrade
in the fall of 2022.

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The process is now over
and enables the most

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up-to-date medical care
for the patients.

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We'll soon begin to treat
Alzheimer's and early dementia.

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We also presented
the hugely successful project

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that we carried out in six months
and which was vital

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for the transition to Phase II
of the Medical Center's renovation

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in April, the second eighth.
This is the renovation

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of the former Occupational
Safety Institute building,

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now know as Diagnostics
and Therapeutics East.

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We've obtained 2500 square meters
of floor space, where we'll move

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offices, medical school
facilities, and other services

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from the main building,
which will give us more room

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for our patients
and enable future renovation.

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These huge steps were successful
because the projects

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were effectively managed
by the Office for the Monitoring,

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Quality, and Investment
in Healthcare, working with

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professionals who put patients
ahead of everything else.

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I'd like to thank the Ministry
of Health for their understanding

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that the University Medical Center
is a specific hospital

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that requires the most up-do-date,
sophisticated medical care.

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I also thank the Prime Minister
for being aware

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of the Medical Center's future
with ongoing development,

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and investment into translational
centers, which will enable further

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therapy and development.
The University Medical Center

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and Slovenia as a whole
mustn’t be held captive

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by multinational corporations
and pay services to foreigners.

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We need to develop and carry out
therapies in Slovenia.

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We have the know-how, and we'll
now have the infrastructure.

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I now ask the Prime Minister
for his statement.

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Hello.

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We're all just human.
Health is what we share,

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and what we value the most.

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A strong healthcare system
has been a priority

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of this government since day one.

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It's also a priority
that we'll endorse

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to the voters on March 22
and carry out in our next term.

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The importance of strong
public healthcare is something

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everyone can see here today.

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Everyone, regardless
of their financial means,

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has access to the most
sophisticated and challenging

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medical therapies in the world.

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The devices that we have
at our disposal

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in our medical centers,

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and the know-how of their employees
is comparable

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to the best in the world.
At that's how it should be.

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We Slovenians deserve to have
the best treatments

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available to us.

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The goal of every government
should be to strengthen

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the expertise and motivation
of those employed

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in the healthcare system
and ensure

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that the working conditions
are as good as possible,

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the equipment
as up-to-date as possible,

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and that professionals can carry
out their mission.

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I'm glad that whenever
I visit a medical facility,

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I see sparkles in the eyes
of the employees.

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It reflects their wish
to acquire knowledge,

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to ease their fellow human's pain,

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to improve their health,

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and primarily to contribute
to a better community.

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I'd like to reiterate my gratitude
to all the medical staff,

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including doctors, carers,
midwives, and nurses,

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all employees
in the healthcare system,

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that you're here for us
when we need you,

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when we can't help ourselves,

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and you're the ones
who take care of us.

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This government will work hard
to ensure several things.

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One of them is providing
sufficient funds

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and understanding to ensure
optimal working conditions.

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Only this way will
those of you employed

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in public healthcare be able
carry out your mission. Thank you.

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I apologize for my hoarse voice,
but you're no longer the only ones

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with night shifts.
We now have them too.

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A noble mission
is what keeps you awake

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even when the body would
prefer to sleep.

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Thank you.
-Thank you for the statement.

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Prime Minister, can you tell us
something about the evacuation?

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We'll carry on. All the other
speakers are at your disposal.

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The minister may make
a short statement,

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and then we'll take your questions.

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I'd like to add something to
what the Prime Minister mentioned.

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These devices don't just ensure
greater access to excellent care

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or shorter waiting times,
but another important thing.

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They give our employees,
or best professionals, a sense

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that the future is bright
and that working hard

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for people is worth it.

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I'd like to ask
the medical directors

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of the Neurology Clinic
and the Radiology Institute

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to tell us how they perceive
this progress

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and what it means
for the employees.

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I'd like to ask
Associate Professor Plut,

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the acting head
of the Radiology Institute,

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how employees see this progress.

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Thank you. I'm grateful
for the new imaging devices.

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The previous devices
were out-of-date.

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The oldest replaced device
was made in 2000.

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We received four new MRIs
that will allow us

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to carry out our work
on the highest level.

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We'll get better images
that will enable us

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to recognize illnesses
faster and easier.

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We'll be able to do more
and do it better.

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This is vital for what we do.
We radiologists depend

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significantly on our devices.
Know-how can't help us

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if we don't have machines
to recognize illnesses.

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This is a big deal
for radiology.

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Here's Maja Trošt, the medical
director of the Neurology Clinic.

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Hello. We neurologists
are also grateful

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for these new acquisitions.

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We're the ones who refer
patients to various

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imaging examinations
of brain arteries and the like.

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Based on what the neurologist
tells us, we set up

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further diagnostic tests
and therapy.

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New imaging devices
enable us to diagnose

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patients faster and more accurately.
Patients don't need to undergo

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additional examinations
because the new 3-Tesla MRI imaging

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will give us more information
than ever before.

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We're also
an educational institution,

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and neuroradiology is a field
where many experts are trained,

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including doctors from various
disciplines, engineers, and so on.

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We're also
a research institution,

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and the newer equipment
allows us

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to truly flourish and have
a bright future in research,

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so we're grateful and look forward
to working with the new equipment.

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Thank you very much.

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Madam Minister.
-You've already said everything.

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I'm very happy that this
has happened. -Thank you.

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Thank you all.
-We have a few questions.

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What did it mean for you
to have to rent the equipment

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and what else will you need
in terms of equipment wear and tear?

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In the last year, in order
to compensate for the loss

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of the old equipment
that had broken down

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and for the time required
to install new equipment,

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which took about three months,
we had to rent external equipment.

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We're currently providing services
on three rented MR devices,

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which cost us
a million euros in a year.

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These costs could gradually
cover the value of a single device,

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and modern devices
will enable more services,

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less cost-intensive services,
and faster services.

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Of course, this will also
lead to better business results.

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But we needed
these rented devices.

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I apologize to the patients
for having to be treated

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in rented external devices,

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but this was the only way we could
ensure continuous treatment.

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What are your next urgent needs?

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In the field of radiology,

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an additional
PET-CT device is needed,

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which will also be important
in the treatment of dementia.

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This is a project that we plan
to carry out sometime this year.

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Last year, we managed to secure
an additional robotic device

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just before the end of the year.

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The next major investment
for us in terms of equipment

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is an additional
angiography machine,

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a replacement for the existing
quite worn-out angiography machine

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for the treatment
of cardiovascular diseases.

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We perform an exceptional number
of heart artery expansions,

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thereby saving many lives.

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An additional investment this year,

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which will come
from the very limited depreciation,

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will be the development
of a biobank.

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This bank will form
the basis for further development

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and research activities.

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There will be other additional
operating rooms financed by UMCL,

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while the Ministry of Health
is also financing

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the completion
of the emergency surgery block,

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which is proceeding
according to plan.

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Completion is expected
in the summer.

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Resuscitation rooms
are being equipped

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with new photon counting CTs.

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The renovation of this eighth
is now being completed,

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and in two weeks we will
open the first two floors,

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the seventh and eighth floors,
and then two floors at a time.

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We have determined
that we must do this gradually,

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as moving the entire eighth
of the hospital would mean

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shutting down the hospital
for a few days,

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which we can't afford to do.

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The infectious diseases clinic
is running according to plan,

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and demolition of the other part
of it will begin shortly,

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which will create
the conditions for the construction

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of the gastroenterology clinic.

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An extraordinary number of projects
on 85,000 square meters of space,

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which represents one-third
of all healthcare space at UMCL.

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Because of this,
I ask for your understanding

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that there are currently
so many renovations

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and new constructions underway,
which makes work more difficult.

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The new equipment is expected
to increase capacity by 20 percent.

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Do you have that many programs

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approved by
the Health Insurance Institute?

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That way
they would be fully utilized,

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and waiting lists
would be shortened.

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When we talk about
magnetic resonance imaging,

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we must be aware
that outpatient examinations

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performed by concessionaires

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are all counted in the Health
Insurance Institute's treatment

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and are also
paid for separately.

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We use the equipment largely
for imaging hospitalized patients

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and don't charge the Health Insurance
Institute extra for these services,

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thus utilizing at least
50% of the equipment.

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Now that we only had two
or three of these devices,

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we had to devote most of our time
to hospitalized patients

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who were given priority,
and we could devote less time

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to outpatient care.

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Now, however, we will be able to
devote more time to outpatient care.

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This will allow us to do
much more outpatient work,

00:15:52.999 --> 00:15:56.065
which will also generate revenue.

00:15:56.149 --> 00:16:01.468
We expect not only smoother
but also more successful operations.

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Shortening waiting lists, above all.
-Shortening waiting lists for sure.

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However, I must emphasize again
and again that we have waiting lists

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for things that are extremely
important and can also be complex,

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such as magnetic resonance
imaging with contrast agents

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or, on the other hand, magnetic
resonance imaging of the knee.

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On the one hand, magnetic
resonance imaging of the knee

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requires three sequences
or twelve minutes of treatment,

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on the other hand,
a complex examination

00:16:34.170 --> 00:16:37.300
can last from an hour and a half
to two hours.

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We're focusing on this

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because people need these
very complex examinations more,

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even though
they are underfunded,

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and don't allow for
a large number of examinations.

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Waiting lists for these critical
diagnostics will certainly shorten,

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but this will not
affect accessibility

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of the MR of the knee or elbow.

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Do you have enough employees?

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We do,
UMCL employs 70 radiologists

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and numerous
radiological engineers.

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These new devices are important
precisely from this perspective,

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so that the people who work here can
see the prospects for development,

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including research,

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and know that they will be working
here on the best possible equipment.

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Are there mechanisms
for rewarding employees,

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from contract work and so on?

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A lot of afternoon work
is done on a contract basis.

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This tool has helped a lot,

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but again, contract work
can be done for profitable services,

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i.e. for simpler services.

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Therefore, services that are somewhat
simpler are performed in that area.

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There are no profits
for more complex services,

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and contract work
is not an option either.

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In an interview for Mladina,
you said that many unnecessary

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or non-essential procedures
are performed in Slovenia.

00:18:11.594 --> 00:18:16.514
How would you suggest
this be resolved?

00:18:19.582 --> 00:18:24.414
We have said that in large systems,
for example in Germany,

00:18:24.497 --> 00:18:30.707
it has been found that a significant
proportion of certain activities

00:18:30.791 --> 00:18:34.530
may be unnecessary. However,
it's extremely difficult to assess

00:18:34.613 --> 00:18:39.991
what is necessary, so guidelines
need to be prepared by experts.

00:18:40.301 --> 00:18:43.296
Unfortunately, in Slovenia,
we don't have many guidelines

00:18:43.379 --> 00:18:45.371
that would provide
specific guidance

00:18:45.454 --> 00:18:49.449
to all the various specialists
and doctors at the primary level.

00:18:49.532 --> 00:18:54.873
I believe this is the first step
that experts must take

00:18:55.142 --> 00:18:58.890
in cooperation with
the Health Insurance Institute,

00:18:58.973 --> 00:19:02.893
and I propose
that the Health Insurance Institute

00:19:02.976 --> 00:19:05.918
form teams and provide them
with financial incentives

00:19:06.001 --> 00:19:09.071
to develop guidelines
that will serve as a basis

00:19:09.154 --> 00:19:11.279
for further referrals.

00:19:11.429 --> 00:19:17.107
What happens? When unnecessary
diagnostic tests are performed,

00:19:17.191 --> 00:19:22.441
this takes away space from people
who actually need these tests.

00:19:24.856 --> 00:19:26.456
Thank you.