Health Systems in Transition - Hungary - World Health Organization ...

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Health systems in transition Hungary
Abolished by the communist regime, the Hungarian Medical Chamber began
to function again in 1988, initially on a voluntary basis. Act XXVIII of 1994 on
the Hungarian Medical Chamber made membership compulsory for practising
physicians and dentists, and defined the structure, tasks and responsibilities of
the Medical Chamber, including issuing a code of ethics for medical practice
(1994/2). The Chamber can discipline those who violate its rules, and it has
the right to voice opinion on a range of medical issues and to veto contract
conditions between medical doctors and the NHIFA. The Hungarian Chamber
of Pharmacists was also established in 1994 (1994/5).
In 2003 the government decided to extend professional self-regulation to
other qualified health care workers by establishing the Chamber of Non-Medical
Health Professionals (2003/18). Compulsory membership in the professional
chambers was eliminated and the regulatory rights of the Chamber of
Pharmacists were curtailed along with the liberalization of the pharmaceutical
retail market in 2006 (2006/8, effective 2007).
There are many other professional and scientific associations in Hungary.
Examples include the Hungarian Hospital Association, the Association of
Health Care Financial Directors, the Association of Nursing Directors, the
Hungarian Nursing Association, the Hungarian Pharmacists’ Association and
the Hungarian Dental Association. The largest professional organization in
Hungary is the Federation of Hungarian Medical Societies.
Patient associations in Hungary are growing in number and influence.
Their participation has been institutionalized in waiting list committees, in the
National Health Council, regional health councils and in hospital supervisory
councils (1997/20, 1998/24, 1998/25, 1998/28).
2.4 Decentralization and centralization
In the early 1990s, health reform in Hungary sought to move the sector from
central government control. Decentralization was the dominant tendency
throughout the restructuring process, and the health care sector became
decidedly more pluralist, with responsibilities divided among several players.
For example, the responsibility for the provision of certain public services was
devolved to local governments in 1990, along with the ability to raise and spend
revenue. As part of this process, the ownership of most health care facilities
was transferred to local governments, which became the dominant providers
in the health care system.