In a decree, the government will say that patients should be offered the earliest possible date for an operation.

The number of patients on public hospital waiting lists dropped from 70,000 in July 2012 to 27,500 by December this year.

With lists for all 13 types of operation concerned taken into account, the average waiting time has shortened from 61 days to 40.

From among the OECD member states, Hungary can now boast of one of the shortest waiting times.

When it comes to surgery for cataracts, for instance, Hungary only trails The Netherlands and Italy, the paper said.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.