Hospitals to receive some 350 million crowns

In related news, the teaching hospitals in debt will receive some 350 million crowns - divided up by the Health Ministry - this week to begin paying off some of their debt. The decision is in keeping with the health minister's plan to help the hospitals recover by the end of the current government's term in June 2006. On Monday, Health Minster David Rath and Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka met to discuss the issue, with the health minister saying the Health Ministry would have to modify its annual budget. According to Mr Rath the hospitals' total liabilities are worth 2 billion crowns. The ministry expected to find between 700 and 800 million to help the hospitals out of financial difficulty.