Open Call from Scientists and Experts

Scientists and experts call on the Government of the Slovak Republic to respect science and the opinions of experts in the field of epidemiology and public health. They refer to the campaign of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic called I respect different opinions. The full text of the open call is shown below.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister, dear representatives of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic,

Scientists and experts who were part of the Science Helps to Fight Against the COVID-19 initiative during the pandemic are aware of the campaign of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic I respect different opinions. Respecting the opinions of other people is an integral part of scientific work and a condition for scientific knowledge and progress.

However, you should note that respecting a different opinion cannot be confused with denying basic, evidence-based scientific knowledge. Questioning basic scientific knowledge by presenting it as one of several alternative “opinions” alongside fallacies and targeted misinformation is extremely dangerous for our society. It seriously impairs ​​the education of our children, makes the efforts of teachers more difficult, derogates the work of scientists and drives young educated people abroad. It also threatens the professional performance of major professions, where respect for facts and natural laws is vital, and where personal responsibility is inferred for unprofessional performance. After all, who would want to hire a building safety expert who relies on opinions instead of calculations, a lawyer who only relies on attitudes instead of knowledge of the law, or a pilot with an alternative approach to gravity? Who would risk being operated on by a surgeon who thinks it’s useless to disinfect your hands before surgery?

We also want to emphasize that such a principle of “accepting different opinions” cannot lead to the fact that the unfounded and unprofessional opinion of one unqualified person will allow Slovakia to officially distance itself from the updating of the international health regulations of the World Health Organization (WHO). Such an act degrades the long-term work of Slovak health professionals and threatens the country’s international reputation.

We therefore call on the Government of the Slovak Republic to nominate a qualified expert in the field of epidemiology and public health for the negotiations with the WHO. In the spirit of its own campaign, we call on the Government to respect the opinions of others, in this case, those of public health experts, and not gamble with the health and lives of its citizens.

Signatories of the call (in alphabetical order):

prof. MUDr. Alexandra Bražinová, PhD., MPH

MUDr. Peter Breier

doc. MUDr. Ing. RNDr. Peter Celec, DrSc., MPH

RNDr. Boris Klempa, DrSc.

Mgr. Richard Kollár, PhD.

Mgr. Vladimír Leksa, PhD.

doc. MUDr. Peter Sabaka, PhD.

doc. RNDr. Tomáš Szemes, PhD.

Mgr. Martin Šuster, PhD.

MUDr. Peter Visolajský

JUDr. Peter Zmeko

The Council of Fellows of the Learned Society of Slovakia also joins the open call.

Text: K. Gáliková

Foto: TASR/Martin Baumann