"Activists resisting the privatisation of Eger’s Markhot Ferenc hospital to HospInvest say that as many employees, 721, refuse to work for the company as have accepted employment offers from the investor.HospInvest must obtain signed contracts with at least half of the workforce – in this case 634 – in order to receive a license to run the hospital. HospInvest vice president Gábor Deák said 721 contracts have been signed by hospital staff while 200 qualified personnel have sent in applications to work at the hospital. The 721 signed contracts were verified by a public notary on Monday.
HospInvest plans to take over the hospital’s operations from September. The company will wait until the middle of next week for other hospital staff to join them.
The anti-privatisation activists now await the outcome of an inquiry by the state medical office Ántsz which it has pledged to complete by August 18. Activist Alfréd Pócs said his side will peruse all contracts thoroughly to find out who they concern before formulating their opinion, and will display their own lists in the hospital within days.
Health union leader Ágnes Cser has sought a fast track inquest at the hospital, and has complained to the privacy ombudsman, the health insurance and labour supervisory as well as to the Equal Opportunity Authority that a large group of those campaigning to retain their public servant status are “persecuted and harassed”.
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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05.08.2008