ECPO Patient Representative Hana Vrabcova attended the recent AOPP conference where she was able to represent Slovak Coalition of People with Obesity and Overweight (SKLON).
During the conference SKLON brought not only the perspective of the patients themselves on their needs, but also the priorities and possible solutions to problems in healthcare with an impact on patients from the perspective of the regulator, representatives of health insurance companies, healthcare providers, manufacturers of medicines and medical devices and other organisations in the healthcare sector.
On the second day of the conference, patients took a closer look at their needs and expectations in terms of a specific diagnosis, and representatives of patient associations presented themselves.
Also this year, the AOPP “My Doctor” and “My Sister” awards were presented, as well as public awards and a special award for lifelong contribution to patient care. Doctors and nurses received the awards from the hands of the president of AOPP PhDr. Mária Lévyová and Minister of Health JUDr. Zuzana Dolinková at the gala dinner at the end of the first day of this unique event.
More info at www.aopp.sk.
History of AOPP
We are the first patient platform in Slovakia that brings together specific patient organizations according to individual diagnoses (currently 51 patient associations).
We provide patients with medical, social and legal advice. We inform the general public about the rights and obligations of patients, as well as about the functioning of the health care system. We organize regular educational events for patients, where they can learn the latest information. We prepare workshops and conferences for our members on current patient topics. We participate in the creation of Slovak and European laws. We represent Slovak patient organizations in the European Patient Forum – EPF Brussels (2011) and in the International Alliance of Patient Organizations – IAPO London (2008).
The Association for the Protection of Patients’ Rights of the Slovak Republic (AOPP) was founded in April 2001. This was at the time when the Slovak government approved the Charter for the Protection of Patients’ Rights, which was based on the European Charter of Patients’ Rights. The creation of a patient platform that would cover patient organizations with different types of diagnoses was created with the idea of joining forces. The common goal was to advocate for individual parts of the Charter of Patients’ Rights to become part of the legal regulations that determine the provision of health care in Slovakia. As part of the reform laws of the Minister of Health, Rudolf Zajac, this happened in 2004.
Since its inception, the Association for the Protection of Patients’ Rights has exercised the right to participate in the creation of policy in the health sector, the principle of partnership and two-way communication, consultation at the stage of planning and decision-making, and participation in the evaluation of processes. The effort was to support partnerships between the government and civil associations in order to build the contribution of non-governmental patient organizations in the field of health, support the provision of services in the prevention and control of health care and treatment, including palliative care and non-communicable diseases. AOPP was and is represented in the committees and commissions of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family of the Slovak Republic, in the Committee for Health of the National People’s Congress of the Slovak Republic, cooperates with stakeholders in the health sector, professional societies, platforms uniting organizations focusing on health promotion, with health insurance companies , state and local government bodies, educational institutions, non-governmental non-profit organizations.