“The government regularly asks the people of Hungary for their opinion with relation to issues that affect our future, and this is also the case on this occasion”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s State Secretary for Information and the International Representation of Hungary Tamás Menczer said at a press conference in Budapest on Tuesday.

“The government wants to establish points of agreement, and in order to do so it must see what the Hungarian people think about efforts to protect against the virus, and what it is they agree with and support”, the State Secretary emphasised. “All of Europe was vulnerable with relation to the procurement of protective equipment; everyone was standing in line at China’s door. There was a shortage of respirators in several Western countries, as a result of which doctors had to decide who would have access to one and who would not, about who can live and who has to die. This is something Hungary wanted to avoid at all costs. There was huge competition for respirators, and Hungary stood its ground in that competition”, Mr. Menczer recalled. According to the State Secretary, it is not in fact the respirators or people’s lives that are important to the Left, but gaining power, since although it previously demanded the procurement of respirators on several occasions, it is now attacking their acquisition. “In my view this is one of the most inhumane, if not the most inhumane and heinous campaigns in Hungarian politics since the regime change”, Mr. Menczer stated. “The standpoint of the Operational Group and the Cabinet is that Hungary cannot find itself at the mercy of others with respect to life-saving equipment. Vác-based manufacturer of medical equipment Celitron is providing assistance towards this goal, and has indicated that it possesses the required knowledge and capacity to manufacture respirators. Joint work began at Easter, and after two months the company has successfully set up its respirator manufacturing capacity”, he added.

“Celitron is manufacturing one of the world’s best respirators, the Panther 5, which is capable of invasive and non-invasive respiration, and also of high-flow oxygen therapy with the use of an external humidifier. It can be operated in the modern respirator modes required by the intensive therapy profession, extensively monitors the parameters linked to respiration, and also has diagnostic capabilities. This means that a world-class respirator is being manufactured in Vác that can be used both during an epidemic, and during the course of everyday intensive care”, the State Secretary told the press. “The fourth question of the new National Consultation concerns the establishment of Hungarian production capacities, so if the Hungarian people agree that this is important, then they should support the government”, Mr. Menczer emphasised, adding that “We must prepare for further battles in view of the fact that the virus pandemic is not over, there still isn’t a vaccine, and the epidemiological state of readiness must be maintained, in addition to which the political attacks by the ‘Soros commando’ and the Hungarian left will also be continuing”. “It is extremely important that as many of us as possible voice our opinion and take part in the National Consultation”, the State Secretary stressed.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/ MTI)