I am a representative of the International Association of Doctors and Other Health Professionals (malns.sk), and we have a migration crisis not only in society, but also in the health care system. We are an organization of foreign health professionals, and we want to help our fellow countrymen as well as the country in which we live. Here are our suggestions for solving the migration crisis at points.
General points
- The main channel of communication with citizens can be at a single site ua.gov.sk
- We have a list of foreign medics and interpreters who speak Ukrainian and Russian respectively. We can jointly create a helpline for hospitals and connect them with a medic or an interpreter who knows the language.
- Create a network of ambulance doctors for refugees to receive and manage patients.
System solutions
Arriving paramedics and training them at the points. If we create the conditions for their arrival, they will not go further west.
- There is a big migration wave coming that we could capture and, if we create the conditions, offer training and support so that paramedics can practice and take advantage of. Right now they're going farther west, which is a shame because they're passing through our territory and would be much needed here."
- Language and vocational training at VUC that would be paid for by the state. The VUC knows how many health care workers they need, they have real statistics, they have housing, they can support them locally and place them where they are most needed.
- The state language and training of a medical professional takes a year. A medical student gets into the system in 10 years.
- Introduce state-funded training quotas, e.g., no more than 30% of doctors/nurses/dentists/pharmacists for training, based on the projected shortage of personnel in this field.
- Simplify the immigration process for medical workers to come - national visa and priority application (e.g. Russia - we can't get them here now), stay for study or work (Ukraine). Temporary asylum for medical workers is possible, but since we want to keep them, it is worth offering them a simplified option to stay in Slovakia.
- Increase the level of cooperation of all government agencies and ministries involved - ua.gov.sk.
- Preparation of nurses in social service homes so that they not only have jobs, but also housing.
- Training of doctors/dentists/pharmacists in language schools in the region and practice in the hospital based on the Temporary Restorative Practice from the Health Professionals Act. Need to expand internship opportunities for high school nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and for the outpatient sector.
- The placement of medical students in our schools is a continuation system. Many medical students don't know what to do next. We know of 200 Indian medical students. But here we need to significantly increase their language training so that they can stay and work in the country after they graduate, not just get an education and leave.
Current articles by Alona Kurotova are also available at dennikn.sk
