care sector. The LOZ Committee communicated this after dealing with Javorský`s arguments on Tuesday. On Monday the LOZ Petition Committee received Javorský`s answer to its February petition requesting the wage increase. Javorský attributed the non-realization of the third phase to the increase in costs for drugs and sanitary and medical materials, the tensions of sources in the health insurance system, and the disagreement of health insurance companies that participate in wages for health workers. Javorský went on to write that one of the sources for the increase in wages should have been savings on the costs for drugs and medical and sanitary materials. However, these costs increased by 2.1 billion SKK compared with the previous year. Javorský said this sum amounts to the funds necessary for the mentioned third phase of the wages increase. The LOZ Committee refuses the argument that physicians were not able to influence the costs of drugs and medical material. The committee considers the argument using the negative stance of the Association of Health Insurance Companies to the third phase of the wage increase as misleading because health insurers have no objections to the wage growth until the Slovak Cabinet secures funds from the state budget for this purpose. The ministries of Health and Finance, Parliament, and the Slovak Cabinet are responsible for solutions to the wage increase backing. These state bodies should have secured the needed funds from the state budget, writes LOZ in its statement. From the above ensues that the ministers of health care and finance, and the Slovak Cabinet as the whole are responsible for the failure to carry out the third phase of the wage increase because of lack of funds. LOZ appeals to its members and supporters to take part in protest rallies to be held in all Slovakia`s regional center between May 18 and May 28. Simultaneously it calls for participation in a pressure action organized for May 28 when the provision of medical treatment in hospitals will be restricted to the weekend extent.