For knee surgery 400 euros, to the urologist only with a brandy. Patients tell how doctors asked them for bribes
The era of sweets and envelopes in the Slovak healthcare system is still not over. While some fees are a necessity, others seem to go “into the pockets” of doctors. Vlad’s wife was expecting their first child over 20 years ago. She was due to give birth to her daughter in a hospital in Bratislava’s Ružinov district. Back then, it was common to see dads standing in the corridors of the maternity ward with envelopes sticking out of their pockets or grandparents with plastic bags full of homemade slivovitz or eggs and sweets. Vlado should have counted on a bribe too. “A friend who gave birth six months before us warned us that we should give the doctor an envelope with cash before the birth.
Source aktuality.sk/za-operaciu-kolien-400-eur-k-urologovi-len-s-palenkou-pacienti-hovoria-ako-od-nich-lekari-pytali-uplatky/