Modern medical centres opening in the most disadvantaged micro-regions with the help of EU funding14 August 2008
Two EU calls for applications particularly relevant to the development of the country’s outpatient services have just been closed. 16 local governments approved funding will be able to set up new outpatient medical centres thanks to one of the calls allocated a budget of 25 billion HUF, whilst 7 hospitals will be able to extend their profiles by setting up outpatient services with the help of the other call ensuring funding of over 6 billion HUF. 11 of the 16 outpatient centres to be developed will be set up in 11 regions classified as most disadvantaged micro-regions.
Creating equal opportunity in access to treatment is one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare during the 2006-2010 period, one of the main components of which involves developing the outpatient medical centre network. Applicants approved funding within the framework of the calls for applications aimed at setting up outpatient medical centres and modernising hospital outpatient services were announced on 12 August. These applications contribute to ensuring easy access to high standard healthcare services for patients in every region. As a consequence of the developments, residents of even the smallest hamlets receive the same opportunities to access healthcare as any person living in a major urban centre.
In accordance with the call for applications, the 16 local governments approved funding within the framework of the call announced for the development of microregional outpatient services will now have the opportunity to build new microregional outpatient medical centres; the call stipulates that the maximum floor space permitted is 1500 sqm. This call primarily targeted 25 disadvantaged regions with no access to outpatient services; consequently, the number of settlements without access to outpatient medical services within a distance of 15 km will significantly decrease.
Objective of announcing the call: to ensure equitable access to healthcare services, reduce unequal opportunities, eliminate medical service shortages and extend services in accordance with needs, set up a complex system of services ensuring access to services for the population, improve the opportunities of employees on the labour market, ensure recovery through early diagnosis and the prevention of diseases.
The available budget was 25 billion HUF when the call was announced. Applicants could only apply for a combination of equipment procurement and building construction. Brand-new buildings and infrastructure will be built and new personnel employed at the 16 microregional outpatient healthcare centres to be set up. The IT development to be implemented – tele-medical services – equally ensures modern treatment by adopting the practice of distance diagnostics. Consequently, once the construction is completed, patients will have the opportunity to recover in a European quality, pleasant and comfortable environment adjusted to 21st century standards and equipped with high-tech medical appliances and equipment. The rate of non-reimbursable funding ranges from 500 to 1000 million HUF. 90% of the costs of each project will be funded by the EU; however, the rate of assistance may even reach 95% in the most disadvantages micro-regions. Naturally, the institutions approved funding will be providing services at a local level, which is why several local governments operating in microregions will be participating in the implementation of the projects.
As a result of the other call for applications, 7 hospitals in which active inpatient treatment was either suspended or reduced to a minimum level will have the opportunity to develop outpatient services. High standard healthcare services and outpatient services will consequently become accessible in the concerned microregions.
Available framework when the call was announced: 6.4 billion HUF; institutions applying could be granted funding ranging from 300 to 800 million HUF. 9 applications were submitted and 7 were approved funding. The rate of funding approved exceeded 5.3 billion HUF.
Objective of the call: reduce unequal opportunities, set up infrastructure suitable for ensuring high standard services replacing hospital treatment, set up a complex system of services ensuring accessible services for the population, ensure conditions needed to maintain the competitiveness of regions and keep their respective populations by implementing healthcare developments.
Applicants were required to assume commitments both for developing buildings and procuring new equipment. Applicants have 2 years to implement these investments in both cases.
Fewer applications than originally expected satisfied the application criteria. However, applicants that failed to meet criteria in the first round will be able to access the remaining funding within the framework of a new call for applications. The institutional system will help these applicants prepare their applications by providing guidance. Therefore, the work applicants put in will not go to waste and the preparations they made were by no means unnecessary, since it will be possible to build other new outpatient healthcare centres by submitting another application adjusted to the assessment criteria.
Details of the call for applications:
Ensuring equal access to services is currently one of most serious problems faced by the outpatient healthcare institutional system. This in part means that there are major discrepancies in access to basic healthcare services (for example, number of beds/10,000 residents), whilst on the other hand there are many settlements around the country without access to outpatient services within a distance of 15 km.
This is why the call SIOP 2.1.2 was announced for local governments of settlements where state-funded specialist doctors only provided services 70 hours per week, or less, at the time of the application submission. One of the criterions specified that the population of the microregion must reach 13,500 and another criterion stipulated that the institution must provide services for at least 15,000 patients.
HRDP MA announced SIOP Measure 2.1.2 “Setting up and development of microregional outpatient healthcare centres” on 31 October 2007, which was earmarked a funding budget of 25 billion HUF and the deadline date for application submission was 29 February 2008.
Funding bodies of institutions satisfying the criteria listed below are eligible to apply – with the exception of specialist hospitals - in the case of SIOP 2.1.3 (to replace active hospital treatment) where:
• Several specialist inpatient treatment wards operated in the institution and were closed prior to 1 April 2007;
• The healthcare service provider financed by the National Health Insurance Fund (OEP) only covers one area and the maximum number of beds in the institution is 20;
• The institution currently provides active inpatient treatment in several areas.
Beyond the above-listed criteria, in the case of SIOP Measure 2.1.3 developments aimed at ensuring high standard services can be launched in institutions that agree to provide services for at least 25,000 residents or in settlements in which a publicly financed or regional hospital does not operate. Date of announcement: 31 October 2007; deadline date for submission: 29 February 2008.