PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Prime Minster Andrej Babis has fired his health minister, the third who has lost the job in the pandemic in one of the hardest-hit European countries. Jan Blatny has been replaced by Petr Arenberger, the director of Prague’s University Hospital Vinohrady. Babis has repeatedly criticized Blatny over his handling of the pandemic, including imposing strict conditions for use of experimental drugs to treat COVID-19 patients. Blatny was also under fire from pro-Russian President Milos Zeman, who demanded Blatny’s dismissal over his refusal to allow the use of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine because it has not been approved by the European Union’s drug regulator.
