Hungarian Health Minister Announces 20‑25% Salary Hike for Medical Staff

Health Minister Hegedűs Zsolt said that many Hungarian medical specialists have left the country and that wage increases must start with them. He outlined a raise of at least 20‑25 % for health‑care professionals, to be financed by newly‑available EU funds. The minister also announced an additional 500 billion forint yearly budget boost to bring Hungary’s health spending in line with the EU average.

The first step will target the long waiting lists for hip and knee prosthesis surgeries, with a ministerial commissioner appointed to oversee the effort. Hegedűs emphasized that the salary increase and extra funding could be implemented by the end of the year to improve staffing and service quality in hospitals.