Eastern Slovakia fails to penalize illegal medical appointment booking portals despite patient complaints

Regional health authorities in eastern Slovakia have failed to issue penalties against illegal online portals that charge patients for medical appointments, despite evidence of violations. In contrast, the Bratislava region has imposed six sanctions against such services. The illegal portals charge fees for booking appointments with doctors, forcing patients to pay while still facing long wait times. These practices violate Slovak healthcare regulations that guarantee free access to medical appointments within the public healthcare system.