"Hospitals and health care institutions will fly green flags outside their buildings from today and ask employees to wear green ribbons to promote their campaign for additional state funding.Finance Minister Peter Oszko told MTV’s “Nap-kelte” talk show Wednesday morning that health institutions may not spend more money than has been allocated. Public institutions in general have acknowledged that they cannot spend more than planned during a time of crisis, but the health sector intends to spend more than it did before the economic crisis began, he said.
Hospital directors insisted on Ft 25 billion in additional funding for 2010 at Tuesday's talks; Oszko said the Health Ministry can only afford the extra Ft 4.5 billion it had proposed.
Hospital representatives are threatening a hunger strike from October 7 and the suspension of all but emergency services from October 14 if their demand is not met.
Former health minister Jeno Racz, a potential head of the Hungarian Hospitals Federation, said hospitals insist on the Ft 25.5 billion as this is the amount needed to keep going until the end of the year.
In an interview with Nepszabadsag Health Minister Tamas Szekely said the cabinet will guarantee in real terms for next year the funds that hospitals are granted this year and will provide extra funding in the crisis."
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
This news item is one of many published daily by HATC, a premier subscription news service which distributes English-language info about Hungary via email or fax. For a free trial of HATC follow this link and click on 'Free Trial Subscription'.
01.10.2009