The motor park of the Hungarian National Ambulance and Emergency Service should be modernized with the addition of about 50 new emergency ambulance and some 100 new basic units by the end of the summer, thanks to the measures taken by the State Secretariat for Health.

At the end of 2010, the State Secretariat signed a contract with the Hungarian National Ambulance and Emergency Service not only for the previously announced amount of 320 million forints, but for another 520 million forints from the State Secretariat’s chapter-managed appropriations. The Service has already issued the public procurement call for tender for the new vehicles. Furthermore, the Service may also spend 1.75 billion forints on purchasing new ambulance vehicles above the previously mentioned 850 million forints, which means that the Service will be able to purchase at least 100 new ambulances.

The EU tender “Improving emergency care – ambulance, air ambulance” – amongst the construction and renovation of ambulance stations, purchase of life-saving appliances – also allows for the purchase of 200 ambulance vehicles. These measures were taken in order to eliminate the drastic handicap that built up due to the negligence of necessary developments in the past years and which almost threatened the Service’s functioning. As it is well known, every year the purchase of ambulance vehicles were unpredictable, without appropriate planning, without respect for needs and based on ad hoc use of funds. Not one new ambulance car went into service since 2008, while the number of serviceable vehicles was constantly decreasing due to accidents and the aging of the motor park.

Based on the numbers of the 2011 budget, the Service’s operational funds will increase by more than 2 billion forints above the amount available for the purchase of ambulance vehicles. This surplus of funds will not only secure the continuous operation of the Service, but it will also make select renewals and developments possible.