Coronavirus – Hungarian doctor outraged about salary

Hungarian healthcare workers are working day and night to help the arriving patients diagnosed with the coronavirus. Nowadays, they are the true heroes helping the country to stop the epidemic as soon as possible. Although the government aims to give every necessary support, one of them was outraged by the sight of the arriving salary receipt. 

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444.hu reported in an interview that a Hungarian pulmonologist works in the front line at a Western-Hungarian hospital and sees coronavirus-patients day by day from morning till the evening. The doctor deals with patients who do not need intense care. Reportedly, the hospital does not have many new patients, and an increase has not been seen in the statistics for long. 

“The county is infected, but surprisingly many positive patients do not need intense care. We also have patients who have recovered but were in a severe condition.” – said the doctor. 

The doctor does bronchoscopy on every arriving patient. Due to the high risk of getting infected from this procedure, the doctor is provided with FFP2 and FFP3 protecting gear but uses a mask for one straight week because there is not enough. One mask can be used for only eight hours and no longer. The doctor got the protecting glasses and pressure suit from his own purchase. 

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“My department ordered masks from Aliexpress to provide enough for the nurses.”

The doctor reported that it is merely an overstatement that the government took care of the necessary protecting gear for healthcare workers. Doctors at the hospital emphasised many times that wearing the same suit over and over again is extremely dangerous despite using disinfectants on them every day more than once. The doctors do not take care of only coronavirus-patients, but others who do not have the infection. 

“I am not infected. Last week the testing of doctors started at the hospital. I am not afraid of getting infected or doing risky tasks, and I do not have any chronic disease. These are the people most frequently infected, but we have seen a perfectly healthy 40-year-old patient fighting with the virus.”

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After the emergency measures were introduced, Hungarian healthcare workers were forbidden to take up a second job. The doctor and many others at the hospital receive their salaries from the state but also work as practitioners. Other doctors worked at another hospital but now do not have the opportunity. 

The doctor received 180,000 HUF (500 EUR) salary for March without the financial support the government promised for healthcare workers and doctors do not know when it will arrive and how. 

The interviewed Hungarian doctor added that the hospital works in a good and calm environment as the chaos at the beginning of the epidemic disappeared. Because of the Chinese and French experience, Hungarian doctors “know” the virus more and aware of even the smallest symptoms. 

• Coronavirus
• Coronavirus in Hungary

Featured image: MTI/Újvári Sándor

Source: www.444.hu