Minister for Human Resources Zoltán Balog handed over Semmelweis awards on July 2, at the Vigadó concert hall in Budapest. Ignác Semmelweis, a 19th century Hungarian physician, also known as “the saviour of mothers”, was one of the pioneers of antiseptic procedures in medicine. His birthday, July 1, is the day of Hungarian healthcare.
In his speech Minister Balog stated that the quality of healthcare is not only a matter of financing, medical supply, instruments or career paths of medical professionals. He said that losing the human component would render Hungarian healthcare to a lower level than what the citizens deserve.
Mr Balog emphasised that the current level can only be sustained through the continuing self-sacrifice of medical staff, while material conditions are also important to the proper functioning of the system.
He said the Government wishes to continue the work started during the previous cycle and establish career path blueprints for medical professionals that would offer them a safe and calculable future. He added that the healthcare priority of the current government cycle is to fully integrate recent developments into the system and improve basic medical care.
Mr Balog also underlined that the awards are testament to the fact that Hungarian healthcare professional are worthy of praise and deserve recognition.