Nitra Hospital Closes Part of Internal Medicine Ward Due to Nursing Shortage

A hospital in Nitra, a regional city in western Slovakia, has been forced to close part of its internal medicine clinic after failing to recruit sufficient nursing staff. The closure has reduced the ward's bed capacity by approximately one quarter, limiting the number of patients the facility can treat at any given time. The development reflects a broader and persistent staffing crisis in Slovakia's healthcare system, where hospitals across the country have struggled to retain nurses due to comparatively low wages and demanding working conditions. The shortage has prompted some medical professionals to seek employment in wealthier European Union countries, leaving Slovak facilities understaffed. The partial closure in Nitra raises concerns about access to medical care for patients in the region who depend on the hospital for treatment.