The government is committed to further pay rises in health care subject to the country’s economic performance, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office stated on Saturday in Hódmezővásárhely.

In 2010 the government took over a country in a state of bankruptcy, and in the past three years we have managed to implement a meaningful pay rise in health care, János Lázár said at his press conference. He added that this is a process heading in the right direction, but it is far from finished.

In 2018 the government brought forward the pay rise of specialist health care workers, general practitioners were given another income supplement, and the financing of the work of dentists who maintain a contractual relationship with the state social security system was also settled, the Minister pointed out.

Opposition parties continually use health care workers in the campaign; however, health care workers can also rely on the government between two elections, the politician stressed.

In the past few years HUF 500 billion has been invested in the modernisation of health care institutions in Hungary, and 77 hospitals have been refurbished. Throughout the country 31 new ambulance stations have been built and 104 have been refurbished, including the one in Hódmezővásárhely.

The politician who is also Member of Parliament for the constituency said that after the merger of the Makó and Hódmezővásárhely hospitals, the government kept its promise regarding development: in the merged institution projects worth HUF 7.6 billion have been implemented in recent years, with operating grants amounting to HUF 4.1 billion provided over and above social security funding.

Árpád Kallai, Director General of the Csongrád County Health Care Centre for Hódmezővásárhely-Makó highlighted that in the past few years several projects have been implemented in the institution with a view to improving the standard of care and enhancing patient safety. Additionally, in both cities health development offices were opened for the improvement of the region’s state of health, health care buildings have been modernised for energy efficiency in multiple phases, and there were regular programmes serving to provide training for specialists.

A significant pay rise programme has been completed in the institution: in eight years – since 2010 – the basic pay of physicians has doubled or tripled, while the incomes of health care workers have also doubled, the Director General said. He mentioned as an example the starting pre-tax salary of specialist physicians which amounted to just HUF 148,400 in 2010. Their pay currently stands at HUF 461,200. The net income of such physicians, in combination with the allowance due for four days of duty service on weekdays and one weekend’s duty service per month as well as with the tax benefits available in the case of three children, is around HUF 580,000 at present, Mr Kallai added.

(MTI)