Socialists: Hungary health-care sector in danger of missing out on crucial EU funds

Photo: www.koronavirus.gov.hu

Hungary’s health-care sector could miss out on crucial European Union funds if the government does not bid for them, Socialist Party MEP István Újhelyi said on Facebook on Thursday.

Újhelyi, who is a member of the European Parliament’s committee overseeing public health, said it had taken several years of lobbying to increase funding for health programmes in the next seven-year EU budget to 5.4 billion euros.

This year alone the EU aims to disburse 311 million euros among member states that bid for health-care funding, including some 750,000 euros for programmes dealing with mental health, he said.

Újhelyi also noted that he had earlier put forward a proposal for a mental health action plan for post-Covid phenomena, parts of which have been backed by Hungary’s Fidesz-led government.

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The MEP said it was crucial that Hungary join other member states in submitting proposals in the European Commission’s consultation on the goals and priorities of next year’s EU health budget.

Újhelyi said he had written a letter to Human Resources Minister Miklós Kásler asking him about the priorities Hungary has identified for the health budget and how it intends to involve civil and professional organisations in the EC’s consultation.