Emigration: thousands of Hungarian doctors work in Germany

As we reported, more and more doctors leave Hungary to work in Western-European countries for much higher wages. In fact, most of them go to Great-Britain, Germany and Switzerland. As a result, there is a considerable shortage in many sectors of Hungarian health care. In contrast, according to Hír TV, it is hard to find a hospital in Germany without at least one Hungarian doctor or nurse.

Many doctors choose emigration to get a higher salary

According to the Hungarian Hospital Association,

5-6 thousand Hungarian doctors are working abroad now, which equals 10% of their total number.

As a result, there were

7028 open positions in health and social care last summer.

The Hungarian health care system lacks, for example, anaesthetists, intensive therapists, internists, local doctors and surgeons. Also, there are not enough doctors in baby and child care, obstetrics and gynaecology. What’s more, these doctors are being missed not only in Hungary, but also the whole European Union.

Since wages and working conditions are better in Western-Europe than in Hungary many doctors and nurses choose to work there. For example, according to a report done by the National Healthcare Services Centre (NHSC),

the number of doctors who left Hungary in the first half of 2016 was above 400.

The problem is much more complex

According to the German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer), the

number of Hungarian doctors tripled in the last six years.

In fact, the rate of the doctor shortage in Germany and Hungary is the same. Additionally, there are 260 residents per doctor in Hungary, while in Germany this number is 220/doctor. Moreover, – like in Hungary – mostly rural hospitals lack workforce. However, Hungary’s response to the problem is hospital integration while

Germany tries to make these positions more attractive.

Hír TV talked to some Hungarian doctors who moved to Germany about their motives and experience. Tamás Hidas moved to Berlin right after his graduation and now works near the capital as internist candidate. He already studied in Germany during his university years, but finally, adventurousness brought him out.

Miklós Szakács said that principally he left Hungary because

he considered cash gifts humiliating.

Besides, he thought that he would get more opportunities as a beginner in a German rural hospital.

The Facebook group of Hungarian doctors working in Germany already had more than 1,000 members in 2014. Therefore, Szakács organised the first national gathering in Frankfurt which has already become a tradition since then. According to some economists and the most prominent opposition party, Jobbik, the Wage Union might be a solution to doctors’ exodus.

Source: mno.hu, Daily News Hungary