Government approves measures aimed at stabilising the health-care system

The leaders of the country's governing coalition have approved a package of measures aimed at stabilising the country's troubled health-care system - measures intended to have an effect over the next two years. After the cabinet meeting Tuesday, Miroslav Kalousek, the head of the junior coalition party the Christian Democrats, told journalists that roughly twenty reform measures had been agreed upon, including a 100 percent redistribution of insurance payments among insurance companies. Mr Kalousek stressed that some of the measures had already been put into effect, including the funding of 3.4 billion crowns to troubled hospitals, and the buying up 3 billion crowns in health insurers' debts by consolidation agencies. The new package of measures agreed upon by the cabinet will now be submitted to Health Minister Marie Souckova, to be incorporated into an overall proposal for extensive health-care reforms. Mrs Souckova has staked her ministerial post on the planned reforms that have yet to be debated in Parliament.