STA, 18 February 2020 - Slovenia is well prepared for early diagnosis in the case of an outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, but its hospitals could not handle a great number of patients, experts told the parliamentary Health Committee on Tuesday. Slovenia's hospitals have been neglected for too long and are ill-equipped for a big epidemic, the body heard.
The committee convened to discuss the country's preparedness for COVID-19 on the demand of the Democratic Party (SDS), with its MPs Jelka Godec saying today that the government and health institutions had failed to provide concrete information.
Health Ministry state secretary Simona Repar Bornšek said that instructions to passengers entering the country have been put up on all entry points, as well as hospitals and health centres.
"Health care personnel have been given concrete information. All institutions have their own pandemic plans in place," she said, adding that there is a very clear course of procedure for COVID-19 and that there is currently no need for additional measures in schools and kindergartens.
Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of the UKC Ljubljana infectious disease clinic told the committee that the hospital had performed an extensive training for its health care staff, while UKC Maribor has also included its cleaning staff in the training.
Lejko Zupanc, as well as Aleš Rozman, the head of the Golnik hospital, both expressed concern about hospitals being outdated and too small to handle a great number of patients.
"In Slovenia, we must work on hospital infrastructure. Improvisation cannot be our default work mode," Rozman stated.
