Government approves package to stimulate Czech health system

The Czech government has approved a crisis package to help the country’s healthcare system. Health insurance companies had predicted that they would end this year with a deficit of 8 billion crowns (390 million USD). But on Monday, the government voted to increase the state’s payments to healthcare companies for children, students and pensioners. Health Minister Daniela Filipiová said that the package would pour some 7.8 billion crowns into the healthcare system by 2010. She added that the package had been unanimously approved. Ms Filipiová said that due to Czech health insurance companies’ financial reserves, the standard of healthcare in the Czech Republic had not so far been jeopardised.