"MPs argued fiercely in Parliament Tuesday over the meaning of Sunday’s referendum and the future of health care.Opposition members reiterated their view that the shortfall caused by the vote against nominal medical fees should be made up from revenues from state gambling company Szerencsejáték. Socialist caucus leader Ildikó Lendvai replied that those funds have been earmarked in the budget for other things. She said the shortfall can only be made up by regrouping existing funds.
Fidesz health politician István Mikola accused the government of wanting to punish people for the referendum result and of siphoning off funds from health care.
Health Minister Ágnes Horváth answered that the referendum has inflicted immediate damage on health.
It is doctors, patients, university instructors and students who will be the real losers of the referendum, observed Free Democrat chairman János Kóka.
Christian Democrat keynote speaker Kálmán Nagy said the nominal medical fees mainly keep poor people with low schooling away from doctors and he urged the withdrawal of the multi-player health insurance act."
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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12.03.2008