Devastating facts about the Hungarian healthcare system revealed

Recently published statistics expressed their concerns about the severe situation of Hungarian people’s health and the operation of the current healthcare system. According to data, Hungary still needs to improve its facilities, increase the number of doctors, and pay more attention to citizens regarding their health. Let us see some statistics from the last few years and a collection of articles that reported the main problems in Hungary. 

Portfólió reported that Hungary is among the least developed countries regarding healthcare. While among many EU states, the number of beds, for example at hospitals and clinics, is enough, in Hungary, news portals often write about parents sleeping on the floor next to their child at a hospital. Moreover, statistics revealed that the core of the problem is that Hungarian people do not lead a healthy lifestyle. The ageing population of Hungary suffers from many health problems which causes the hardships the healthcare system needs to put up with.

Read more in these articles: 

• Poor conditions in the Hungarian healthcare system: doctors and patients go to private hospitals
• Infections in Hungarian hospitals kill more people than car accidents

Hungarian people do not lead a healthy lifestyle, which is shown in the statistics: the number of people with obesity, respiratory problems, and cancer is higher than the EU average. Moreover, the number of Hungarian people who smoke and consume alcohol regularly is still shocking.

Read more in these articles: 

• How many years of healthy life do Hungarians have?
• Cancer and respiratory diseases still take most lives in Hungary

In 2017, Hungary had the highest score regarding the number of deaths and the chances of dying because of serious medical problems. The number of people dying in Hungary each year is twice as much as the EU average. Cancer causes the most fatal incidents, as well as the lack of medical examinations. The number of doctors is almost equal to the average EU data, but on the other hand, the bigger problem is the number of doctors above 65 years old, almost 55% among all healthcare workers. 

Statistics also examined the number of citizens who regularly buy medicine. Hungary is the third country in the EU that sells most of them each year. This also means that an average household that buys medicine regularly spends 40% of its income on drugs. 

Last but not least, Hungarian patients spend more days at hospitals than the EU average. For example, while in other EU countries, patients with cataracts are treated for 4-5 days at hospitals, in Hungary, it is almost a week, but in some cases, it may even be 10 days.

Read more in these articles: 

• Hungarians spend the most time in hospitals in the EU
• Association of Hungarian Doctors: Patients cannot be treated safely in Hungarian hospitals

Source: www.portfolio.hu