The Constitutional Court in Brno has postponed a decision on whether symbolic fees for visiting the doctor are unconstitutional. The courts chairman Pavel Rychetsky said the court needed more time to reach a decision. He was speaking after a day of deliberations and cross-examination with the health minister and even the prime minister appearing to give testimony.
Health Minister Tomas Julinek appeared before the Constitutional Court judges on Wednesday to defend his reforms. The case, brought by the opposition Social Democrats and Communists, accuses the government of violating the Constitution by introducing a fee of 30 crowns â about one euro 20 cents â each time people visit their GP.
The government says the fees are to dissuade people from abusing the health system, but Mr Julinek was asked several times whether those fees were purely symbolic or represented something tangible. Also in the dock on Wednesday was Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who appeared in Brno to defend his governments legislation.
Mr Topolanek said without the governments unpopular and controversial reforms, the health system would simply collapse. Constitutional Court chairman Pavel Rychetsky told reporters afterwards the court needed more time to formulate its position, and would release a verdict at the next session on the matter. He did not say when that would be.
The days events â which at times resembled an afternoon in parliament rather than the deliberations of a court â received a positive spin from Michal Hasek, head of the opposition Social Democrat (CSSD) deputies group. Mr Hasek claimed the Court clearly had strong doubts about the reforms, hence the postponement.
Critics say it meant nothing of the sort, and maintain the reforms are both constitutional and vital. So far, it seems, the Constitutional Court agrees. The Court has divided complaints over the centre-rights comprehensive public finance reforms into three parts. In January it ruled that the overall changes, including tax reform, are constitutional. The healthcare reforms discussed on Wednesday are the second part. It still has to examine changes to the social benefit system.
[17-04-2008 13:26 UTC] By Rob Cameron
Source: http://www.radio.cz/en/article/103119