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Slovak president stresses healthcare, migrants in state of republic speech

Xinhua, June 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Order and transparency in health care aren't matters of ideology because without them no system would work better, said Slovak President Andrej Kiska in his speech on the state of the republic in Parliament on Thursday.

"A single health insurance company or bans on profits for health insurance companies -- sometimes they are issues, sometimes not. It will most likely be a topic of an election campaign," said the president.

"However, it's a political dispute that can't be settled because there are various health insurance systems in the EU as well. But there are achievable goals -- there are many fees in health care, people don't understand them and pay instead of the state putting the fees in order," stressed Kiska.

Kiska is convinced that the state has the opportunity to establish order and justice in healthcare and is accountable to Slovak citizens for this.

"It's just a matter of will and willingness of the people who manage the healthcare sector," added the Slovak president.

According to Kiska, Slovakia is morally obliged to help vis-a-vis migrants.

"Slovakia is neither a country of entry, nor a target country. We have hardly any experience and a minimum number of asylum cases granted every year," asserted Kiska.

Kiska went on to emphasise that Slovakia's discussion about migrants will also be a discussion about itself.

"Our decision will have the power of a gesture. It's up to us to state how many people we can provide help to and how we can express elementary human solidarity," stated Kiska, who at the same time said that the European Commission-sponsored relocation quotas aren't a prospective and right solution, however.

Thursday´s speech of President Kiska was his second since he has been elected in 2014. Endit