Ian, who’s been visiting his family in Hungary for 21 years now,  and staying here for quite long periods, continues: “The ambulance arrived within 10 minutes and we were quickly taken to the nearest public hospital.

While waiting for the ambulance, several passers buy rushed to a nearby shop to buy Ruth  something to drink and refused to take any payment.

The treatment, kindness, and professionalism of both the nurses and the doctors were really of the highest standard. Many spoke fluent English and treated my wife with care and concern without any delay. I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the Hungarian health system for everything it has done for us.”

While there may not be a perfect public health system anywhere in the world, these good experiences really need to be shared and celebrated, while any less positive experiences need to be used to improve and upgrade the service instead of rubbishing the system.

“An unfortunate situation turned into a fortunate one. The treatment I received could not have been better anywhere else in the world,” adds Ruth Prest.

Words by Tímea Klincsek for XpatLoop.com

Proofread by Írj Jól Szolgáltató Kft