At the handover ceremony of the new wing of Szent Rókus Hospital held in Baja (southern Hungary) on Tuesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán talked about how preventing the privatisation of the healthcare system was the most important outcome of the social census held in 2008, because the healthcare system cannot function on a business basis.
At the handover ceremony of this investment worth HUF 4 billion (EUR 12.6 million) the Prime Minister also said that the extension and the development of hospitals also show the "cast of mind of the country" and how much it cares about the fate of its citizens.
As regards earlier achievements in the domain of healthcare, the Prime Minister mentioned that 200,000 people have quit smoking in Hungary thanks to the measures introduced to curtail smoking.
The Prime Minister also said that the introduction of the public health product tax (the so-called fat tax) generated HUF 52 billion (EUR 165 million), which made it possible to increase wages in the healthcare sector. He added that they will continue to eliminate unhealthy foods in order for "Hungarians to suffer from less health problems".
The Prime Minister noted that the introduction of the cervical cancer vaccine, the 277 new ambulances handed over since 2010, as well as the 22 new ambulance stations and 60 old ones currently being reconstructed are all important steps aimed at raising the standard of healthcare services.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that sorting out the situation of GPs is something the Government still needs to do.
With regard to the Government's work over the past four years, the Prime Minister highlighted how prices have been kept under control and families in debt have received help, alongside stressing that while 1.8 million people worked in 2010, this figure has now jumped to 4.1 million, with every single one of them paying taxes.
Concerning the local elections, the Prime Minister encouraged people to take part, because their vote will "also determine the Government's capacity to act for the next four years".
Gábor Tóth, the hospital’s general manager said that this is the most significant investment amounting to a total of HUF 4 billion ever since the political changes and will improve healthcare services for 150,000 people in the region. He highlighted that a stroke centre has also been opened, which will also play a key role in post-treatment.
(MTI / Prime Minister's Office)
