Health minister waters down reform plans

Czech health minister Tomas Julinek has watered down his health reform plans in the face of widespread criticism. According to Saturday's edition of Lidove Noviny the minister has promised to exempt people living below the poverty line from having to pay health care fees. If the planned reforms win approval in Parliament Czechs would find themselves contributing directly to the cost of treatment: 30 crowns (the equivalent of around one US dollar fifty) for each visit to the doctor's; the same for individual prescriptions; 60 crowns per day in hospital and 90 crowns for emergency care. The proposed changes have met with strong criticism from the opposition as well as from the Ministry of Social Affairs, patient's organizations and the Minister for Human Rights Dzamila Stehklikova.