Slovak hospitals are bracing for the mass resignation of nearly 2,000 doctors in protest over low pay, poor working conditions and what they term an alarming health care situation.

The resignations will take effect on Thursday, health ministry spokeswoman Katarina Zollerova told AFP.

The government was to meet later today and could declare a national state of emergency under which the doctors would be required to work.

"Slovak health care is collapsing even without the mass exodus of doctors," deputy chairman of the Medical Trade Union Association Peter Visolajsky told AFP.

"The hospitals are understaffed (and) there are not enough young doctors because the job is not attractive to young people. One-third of medical students don't want to stay in Slovakia after they graduate," he said.

According to Visolajsky, the average monthly salary of a young doctor in Slovakia is between 550 and 600 euros ($800), while experienced specialists earn between 1,000 and 1,200 euros.

The ministry has offered physicians an average rise of 300 euros, but the medical trade unions are asking for the salaries to be increased to between 1,140 and 2,280 euros, compared with Slovakia's average salary of 760 euros.

"Any further raise above the offered 300 euros would be populist irresponsibility, because the government can't afford it," Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik said Monday.

The outgoing cabinet of Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova has been struggling to keep public finances under control as the exports-driven economy is expected to slow next year to 1.7 percent growth compared with this year's 3.0 percent.

A eurozone member since 2009, Slovakia has adopted austerity spending in a drive to cut its public deficit, expected to reach 4.9 percent of gross domestic product this year, to under 3.0 percent of GDP in 2013 in order to meet the eurozone deficit ceiling.