The European Commission has approved all four health projects submitted by the Ministry of Human Capacities last December, meaning that four county hospitals will receive development funding of more than HUF 15 billion each (EUR 50.5 million) within the Social Infrastructure Operational Programme 2.

The project proposals have been elaborated by the beneficiaries, the Ministry of Human Capacities, Hungarian experts and professionals of JASPERS (Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions). Projects co-financed by the EU exceeding 50 million euros require commission approval; these are typically transport infrastructure and environmental programmes. It is seldom that human services receive grants for such large projects aimed at improving services and patient care levels in a single EU budgetary period. The Commission’s decisions on these major projects are based on professional quality, social impact and a cost-benefit analysis.

The four hospitals concerned are located in Mór, Szeged, Nyíregyháza and Pécs. All the above projects are aimed at optimizing and streamlining patient care based on actual needs, progressively concentrating special care and logistics at the highest possible level, thereby achieving and improved, cost-efficient and sustainable patient care system.

Another objective is to create unified, integrated patient care centres, improve efficiency and equal access to healthcare, thus raising overall social security perception and life chances.

(Ministry of Human Capacities)