Labour shortage: hospital care unit closed because all the doctors are on summer holiday

There is only one place in Békés county where there is inpatient dermatology, but it closed for two weeks because the only doctor went on holiday and it cannot operate with only two resident physicians.

She was lucky to be examined

One of the readers of Népszava named László reported about a case that happened to her mother and which is very typical in the Hungarian health care system. László’s elderly mother wanted to be examined by a dermatologist after pustulates appeared on her arms, so she went to the Pándy Kálmán Hospital in Gyula where there is a dermatology department. However, at the department, she was told that everybody is on holiday, so she was redirected to the emergency department. There she was told to go to the dermatology department of the hospital where she learnt that the only doctor working there is on holiday, but he visits one of his patients every day so

provided that she is lucky enough, she might be examined.

She had luck, and after the medical examination finished, she had to remain in the hospital. 

There she spent two weeks and thanks to the professional treatment she received her condition was improving. Even though she was far from healthy; however, she was told once that she has to go home because the head physician goes on a holiday abroad and the department has to be closed since it cannot operate with only two resident physicians. Though not László’s mother was in the worst condition

everybody was sent home from the department and officially declared to be healthy.

Physicians needed in Hungary

A nurse said later to them that they were sent home because of the sterilisation of the department. László’s mother got an ointment, gloves and instructions on how to salve her arms with it. However, she could not recover even until today.

László said to Népszava that it is hard to understand for him how a full inpatient care unit can close when there is only one of that in the whole county.

Népszava asked the hospital about the issue which did not deny that because of the summer holiday of the only doctor they had to close the dermatology care unit. However, they denied that the inpatient care was suspended in the county.

Népszava reported before that in Mezőberény

a paramedic is a physician in attendance, as well.

The family doctor of Tiszaroff, a small village in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, Gábor Katona, said that such solutions are becoming a more and more common practice because of the severe labour shortage of health professionals.

As we reported before, Hungary struggles a lot with the labour shortage, which affects almost every sector of the economy. In fact, the most problematic sectors are public transport and service, tourism and IT. However, the issue also affects the public sector significantly; for example, there are not enough police officers in the country. To make matters worse, even the shortage of doctors and nurses is getting worse.

Source: nepszava.hu