By: Prim. Janez Remškar
Voters of Svoboda and other left‑leaning groups have chosen to continue corruption, because for them its uncovering is “high treason”! Slovenian women and men, and citizens of Slovenia, think about this! I cannot imagine a worse starting point than another government led by Dr Golob!
Would any of us know anything about how the corruption of “those in power” works without the published recordings? For years, we have been kept in the dark. We talk about corruption and speculate; we assume the sums of money that end up in the accounts of corrupt individuals. In four years, the law‑enforcement authorities – under the leadership of Svoboda, which now calls the uncovering of corruption high treason – have done nothing! Why?
As a doctor with experience in various professional and managerial roles, I claim that citizens hear a lot about corruption in healthcare, but know little about how it actually works, and that left‑wing governments are the ones that removed those who tried to fight it. Information about any corruption is supposed to be concrete and supported by data. This is what has now been shown to us for the first time. For some in politics this is high treason, but ordinary citizens must not only reflect on this, we must demand action from law‑enforcement authorities! If, for left‑wing politics, these recordings are high treason, then the question is justified: how are Slovenian women and men supposed to be informed about this? Through investigative authorities? Through the courts, the media? Through websites? Through government information? Forget it!
What are the facts about this government’s work in the field of corruption? Even regarding the so often mentioned corruption in healthcare, it has done nothing. On the contrary! Immediately after taking office, Dr Golob’s government abolished the amendment to the public procurement law adopted during Mr. Janša’s government. After four years of work by Dr Golob’s government and its strategic council at the Ministry of Health – led by the greatest fighter against corruption in healthcare, Dr Brecelj – the situation remains untouched! We still speak only of estimates of how much money is lost to corruption. It is unclear who plays the main role in this process. Are they doctors, nurses, suppliers, pharmaceutical companies, the interests of those in power to ensure that the “right suppliers” get their share and another share goes to politics? Every corruption case requires at least two! And something always flows under the table, to individuals and to politics. Why do we not have a clear picture? The police do not make the effort to uncover and clarify this with the help of court orders. Now, for the first time, we have clearly seen how this works – not in healthcare, but in general. After the hidden, otherwise prohibited recordings were made, two respected legal experts explained that, according to the position of the ECtHR, such recording is justified when there is a public interest.
As a director, I encountered several activities undoubtedly connected to corruption. Let me mention two. First, immediately after my arrival at the Oncology Institute Ljubljana in 2013, there was the renovation of the water system. It was supposed to be carried out according to implementation plans, which did not exist! It turned out that opening the “dump” ceilings at the beginning and end of the corridors, on the basis of which the plans were prepared, was not sufficient. It was unworkable. It also turned out that even the fire‑safety barriers were not arranged. Because we did not agree to improvisation (they wanted to place boxes in the corner between the ceiling and the wall and run the new water pipes through them), we delayed the start of the renovation. None of this suited the contractor and the supervisor from the Ministry of Health. Dr Brecelj warned me that there was a danger I would be dismissed. The acting minister at the time was Ms. Bratušek! The next example, certainly connected to corruption caused by the system, was the purchase of radiotherapy equipment. The manufacturer tried to include numerous trainings abroad in the price! It must be said that our doctors and nurses (and other staff) do not have enough funds for necessary training. Suppliers and the pharmaceutical industry exploit this and, with their “sponsorship” money, bind professionals in one way or another, trying to please them, if not otherwise, then through prescribing medication and purchasing “appropriate” expensive equipment. Just as they removed Prof. Dr Noč, they also got rid of me. I must be honest. If I had not already completed more than 40 mandatory working years, it is questionable whether I would have entered into a fight with the state apparatus of the left‑wing government, which was fully prepared and trained in corruption.
I could write much more, but healthcare is only a small part of corruption! Do we really intend to accept Svoboda’s thesis that this is high treason? Yes, in the current case it is high treason against Slovenian women and men by Svoboda, at least that much is clear!