Human resources minister highlights V4 cooperation in health care

Hungary’s human resources minister highlighted cooperation among members of the Visegrád Group in health care at a conference of health ministers of the four countries in Budapest on Friday.

Addressing the event, Zoltán Balog emphasised the importance of joint action by the V4 in addressing pharmaceutical policy issues, as well as the development of basic health-care services and combatting dietary related diseases.

The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have already taken initial steps towards cooperation on fair drug pricing as well as the joint purchase of vaccines and innovative drugs, he said.

The four countries have good potential to cooperate in developing their basic medical services and GP networks, Balog added.

He further encouraged dialogue on prospective cooperation in the areas of nutritional health, responses to drug resistance, e-health services and campaigns to promote healthy living, as well as the management of private health data.

Balog applauded the recently introduced electronic data administration in Hungarian health care as a great “innovation”, and offered to share Hungary’s related experiences with the other V4 countries.

At the conference a statement was signed by Balog, the Czech health minister, the Polish deputy health minister and Slovakia’s state secretary for health care on strengthening cooperation in fighting non-contagious chronic illnesses and juvenile obesity.

Source: MTI