Former Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch has been selected as the new Chairman of the Board of the Regional Health Authority, which has more than 7,200 employees. Vojtěch’s post as an ambassador in Finland is assumed to be delayed, as Vojtěch describes his position at the Regional Health Authority to be vital. Photo Credit: Vlada.cz.
Czech Rep., March 12 (BD) Former Minister of Health Adam Vojtěch has been selected as the new Chairman of the Board of the Ústí nad Labem Regional Health Authority, one of the biggest medical facilities in the Czech Republic, to manage five hospitals in the region with a combined 7,200 employees. The Regional Health Authority announced Vojtěch’s new role on Thursday. This decision has apparently put the brakes on Vojtěch’s future role as an ambassador in Finland, which was proposed in the second week of February. “My job is to stabilize the situation. I think that, at the moment when we are solving the COVID-19 crisis and other challenges, it is absolutely vital,” said Vojtěch.
The previous chairman of the board, Jindřich Zetek, was dismissed from his position on Wednesday, allegedly due to disagreements with the regional government. Zetek was selected by the regional council for the position last November after the formation of a new regional government. “Together with the other members of the Board of Directors, I somehow stopped the money pipeline to the government party ANO, when the CEO, who we dismissed, signed a non-standard contract with the governor’s right hand man the day after taking office,” said Zetek.
The governor of the Ústí nad Labem region Jan Schiller (ANO) said: “[Zetek] was dismissed because his idea of managing the Regional Health Service was different to the ideas of the regional leadership.”. Schiller said that Vojtěch would assist the regional healthcare system using “his expertise and connections”. Schiller added that the changes were part of efforts to strengthen the expertise of the Regional Health management. “We didn’t want to make it a political issue, but to have people there who understand healthcare,” he said. Regarding Vojtěch’s post as an ambassador in Finland, Schiller stated that Vojtěch’s presence at the Regional Health Authority is vital, and does not stop him becoming an ambassador in the future.
