The Prime Minister, Robert Golob, and the Minister of Health, Valentina Prevolnik Rupel, met with the management of the Maribor University Medical Centre (Maribor UMC) to review the progress of the expansion of the oncology ward, which is crucial for increasing access to oncology services for patients in north-eastern Slovenia.

Today, in the National Gallery, the Minister of Culture, Dr Asta Vrečko, presented a charter to the representatives of the Chamber of Nursing and Midwifery Services of Slovenia – the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia – and the Natural Beginnings Association on the occasion of the inscription of midwifery on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

At today's session, the Government adopted the first measures aimed at protecting the public health system. These measures will be particularly important after 1 March, when the withdrawal of overtime consents by doctors who decided to take this step during the Fides strike will take effect.

On Monday, 8 January 2024, the Government appointed the Government negotiation team for the negotiation of the strike demands of the Union of Doctors and Dentists of Slovenia – Fides, and today invited it to start negotiations on a solution to the strike demands.

Every year on 10 October, World Mental Health Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of mental health. This year’s day is under the slogan "Mental health is a universal human right" and is an opportunity to improve knowledge, strengthen empowerment and encourage action. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia has declared 2023 the Slovenian Year of Mental Health.

On the basis of the implementation of temporary measures referred to in Article 15 of the Act on Emergency Measures to Ensure the Stability of the Healthcare System (ZNUZSZS) and based on analyses conducted, data were obtained on the utilization and responsiveness of the healthcare system to measures which require immediate state intervention in order to adjust the established Act.

The 9th session of the Small Countries Initiative, which has been operating under the aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2013, was held in Luxembourg on May 10-12. Slovenia has also participated in the Initiative since 2019. The subject of the meeting, which was attended by State Secretary Azra Herceg and a delegation from Slovenia, was the promotion of health and well-being.

The Nutrition Institute has announced the most innovative foods of 2023, introduced to the market in the last year.

Minister of Health Danijel Bešič Loredan presented the document “Overview of the situation in Slovenian healthcare”.

The healthcare digitisation strategy in Slovenia for the 2022–2027 period was presented in the Congress Centre at Brdo pri Kranju.

Today, two wounded Ukrainians arrived in Slovenia, accompanied by an attendant. Both will receive full medical assistance and care. In the spirit of solidarity, Slovenia is joining 18 other EU member states in the care for the wounded and sick from the warzone. We are thereby expanding our political, humanitarian, material and military support for Ukraine to include medical aid.

At today's correspondence meeting, the Government adopted a new draft Transnational Provision of Services Act and issued an amendment to the Decree on the establishment of programmes of compulsory health insurance services.

The head of the government negotiating team, the Minister of Health Danijel Bešič Loredan, and the head of the trade union’s negotiating team, Irena Ilešič Čujovič, initialled an agreement on the resolution of strike demands, and on the implementation of the agreement on urgent measures in connection with wages in the health and social care sector, and on the continuation of negotiations.

The Ministry of Health today prepared a conference for healthcare providers at Brdo pri Kranju. The main focus was on the novelties brought by the Urgent Measures to Maintain the stability of the health system Act (ZNUZSZS), and the Urgent measures to prevent the spread and mitigate the consequences of the infectious disease COVID-19 in healthcare Act (ZNUNBZ).

Yesterday and today, Danijel Bešič Loredan, the Minister of Health, is on a working visit to Brussels, during which he met the representatives of the European institutions.

Following the adoption of the Healthcare Emergency Measures Act in the summer, a rulebook and two additional decrees to help stabilise the healthcare system and shorten waiting times are due to be published today.

At today’s session, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the draft act on emergency actions to contain the spread and mitigate the consequences of the infectious COVID-19 disease in healthcare and submitted it to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia to be discussed in an urgent procedure. After the Government’s session, Minister of Health Danijel Bešič Loredan stated that the draft act "sets the legal bases for COVID-19 to become an endemic disease by spring."

On the occasion of today’s World Mental Health Day, the Ministry of Health organised an expert meeting, 'Day of Mental Health', at the Brdo Congress Centre. In the initial part of the meeting, the attendees were addressed by the Minister of Health, Danijel Bešič Loredan, and the Human Rights Ombudsman, Peter Svetina, who presented the challenges of mental health.

Today, on Thursday, 6 October 2022, the ministers of defence, the interior, health and infrastructure signed an updated plan for activation and use of state aircraft for emergency tasks of protection, rescue and assistance.

Minister of Health Danijel Bešič Loredan and his team met today with the representatives of the Coordination of medical organisations, i.e. the Medical Chamber of Slovenia (ZZS), the FIDES union, the Slovenian Medical Association (SZD) and the Slovenian Professional Association of Private Doctors and Dentists (SZZZZS).