Health ministry faces budget cuts

While the health ministry will see a budget increase of a hundred million Czech crowns next year for its research and sciences department, all other departments will see a cut in funds. The ministry’s salary budget will be reduced by ten percent. The ministry is currently trying to determine whether to implement across-the-board salary cuts or reduce its staff. Nurses and doctors are not affected by the cuts since their wages are not paid out of the state budget. The newly installed government approved the parameters of next year’s state budget last Wednesday. Ministries will see their budgets cut by a total of 10 billion Czech crowns in 2011.