During his regular interview slot on Kossuth Radio this morning, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said we still know very little about the coronavirus so far.
“It is worth considering the Austrian example, but caution leads the defense in Hungary,” he said. If the measures in Austria work, the Hungarian government can also think about easing the rules here. But for the time being, he added, it is worth continuing with the measures we have taken thus far.
“In recent weeks, we have defended ourselves with great discipline in the country to slow the spread of the epidemic and prepare the healthcare system for large-scale illness,” the prime minister said.
In Hungary, there is sufficient medical equipment for peacetime, but the necessary equipment had to be obtained for this new situation. “Recently, we have been working to have the required number of beds, employees and ventilators,” he added.
PM Orbán also noted that there are more than 1,000 elderly homes in Hungary, and if just 10 people per home get sick, then that’s 10,000 people. “We are preparing to have 8,000 ventilators and 30,000 beds for coronavirus patients for the worst-case scenario,” PM Orbán emphasized.
According to the official records, there are 68,000 hospital beds, 34 percent of which were not occupied. In order to have the necessary 50 percent of hospital beds available, 16 percent had to be vacated. In this situation, it was necessary to determine what treatments could be postponed for some patients and what urgent action was required for others, the prime minister said. A medical panel made these decisions and issued guidelines for hospitals, he explained.
A call center set up for advice on the coronavirus can be reached on +36-80-277-455 and +36-80-277-456 or by email koronavirus@bm.gov.hu