New minister of health in Slovenia

• Abstract
• Purpose of health policy or idea
• Characteristics of this policy
• Political and economic background
• Purpose and process analysis
• Expected outcome
• References

Abstract

After the resignation of Dr Andrej Brucan on 30/8/2007, the Parliament voted in favor of the new minister, Mrs Zofija Mazej Kukovic, following her presentation of the program for the last year of this legislative term. She took over her duties on 12 September. The foci of her ministerial term will be: successful conclusion of public tenders, IT development, preparation of the national health strategy and plan, and more transparency in granting concessions for private delivery of health care.

Purpose of health policy or idea

The change of ministers was the result of a broader political process. It involves some of the important issues that had remained unresolved or/and not implemented in a timely manner. The new minister outlined priorities in some of these topics, namely in: conclusion of public tenders, IT development, preparation of the national health strategy and plan, and in introducing more transparency to the process of granting concessions for private delivery of health care.

Main points

Main objectives

The appointment of a new minister of health has been the result of a political process. The main objective of the change is to approach more resolutely some of the burning issues at the national policy level and in operational tasks at different level.

Type of incentives

The focus is on organisational changes, which should include:

1. state investments in IT technology and development
2. adoption of a new law on concessions in health care
3. a renewed process of preparation of a new national health strategy and plan
4. quickly resolving public tenders which in some cases blocked the successful conclusion of large national projects

Groups affected

Ministry of Health, Health professionals (mainly physicians and dentists), Health care providers

Innovationsgrad	traditionell		innovativ
Kontroversität	unumstritten		kontrovers
Strukturelle Wirkung	marginal		fundamental
Medienpräsenz	sehr gering		sehr hoch
Übertragbarkeit	sehr systemabhängig		systemneutral

It is unlikely that a great deal of new innovative changes will be introduced, but it remains a fact that changes may be important given the attention and the priority given to the few selected priority areas in health policy.

Political and economic background

The change of ministers occurred as a result of a government reconstruction, which in itself does not signal a major change in priorities. Still, there are some important indications that do show intentions to approach health policy development in a slightly different way.

1. The new minister of health is a woman with almost 20 years of managerial experience in a private industrial company. It is the first time since 1992 that Slovenia has a minister of health who is a not a medical doctor.
2. The priorities the new minister indicated clearly show that she is determined to face the most important and critical issues that have become major topics on the political agenda regarding health care - a stalemate in concessions for private provision of health care, investments and a dead-end in the process of the preparation of a new health strategy and plan.

Prior to the change of ministers there was rising dissatisfaction and pressure in the country regarding the need for intervention in all of the listed areas.

Complies with

Change of minister and a slight change in the minister's priorities in health care

Purpose and process analysis

Current Process Stages

	Idee	Pilotprojekt	Strategiepapier	Gesetzgebung	Umsetzung	Evaluation	Veränderung/Richtungswechsel
Implemented in this survey?

Origins of health policy idea

The main origin of the change was the political setting. The new minister's priorities and policy topics clearly show the intention to pick up on the open points on the health policy agenda and to move them forward in all those fields where little progress had been made over the last 2 years.

Initiators of idea/main actors

• Regierung

Stakeholder positions

The arrival of the new minister of health to office was a fact to be adopted as such to all involved in health policy. Of course, there will be some changes, primarily affecting the previously very favourable role of the medical profession. This resulted in at least two important broader consequences - an intense process of privatisation of health care delivery and in exertion of an important influence on health policy. These two are bound to change or, at least, to become slightly modified. Also the role of the main health care provider in the country, the University medical centre of Ljubljana is going to be slightly smaller as previously the ministers' posts were usually occupied by one of their doctors.

Actors and positions

Regierung
Medical profession	sehr unterstützend		stark dagegen
University medical centre Ljubljana	sehr unterstützend		stark dagegen

Influences in policy making and legislation

The new minister of health outlined some priorities that will be addressed during her term:

1. law on concessions in health care
2. new national health strategy and plan preparation
3. further transparency in the process of investments into national health care institutions

Legislative outcome

n/a

Actors and influence

Regierung
Medical profession	sehr groß		kein
University medical centre Ljubljana	sehr groß		kein

Positions and Influences at a glance

Expected outcome

Impact of this policy

Qualität	kaum Einfluss		starker Einfluss
Gerechtigkeit	System weniger gerecht		System gerechter
Kosteneffizienz	sehr gering		sehr hoch

At present, it is difficult to estimate what precise effects the change in office of the minister of health will have.

References

Sources of Information

Ministry of health homepage - www.mz.gov.si

 

Author/s and/or contributors to this survey

Tit Albreht

Empfohlene Zitierweise für diesen Online-Artikel:

Tit Albreht. "New minister of health in Slovenia". Health Policy Monitor, October 2007. Available at http://www.hpm.org/survey/si/a10/5