In a unanimous decision during a recent municipal assembly, the local government of Gödöllő has approved the transfer of operations for the Tormay Károly Health Center to the state, effective September.

Mayor Gémesi György confirmed this development, emphasizing that the municipality could no longer sustain the financial requirements necessary for the health center’s operation.

The decision comes in light of ongoing financial challenges faced by the municipality; it has been reported that the state funding provided for the health center has not been sufficient to cover operational costs for some time.

Gémesi noted in a statement that the local government has reached its financial capacity limit, stating, "We cannot allocate the necessary funds for the operation of the specialist care facility."

For the past decade, the municipality has provided 300 million Hungarian Forints in additional support to the health center, with half of that amount required in the last two years alone.

Last year, Gödöllő allocated 50 million Forints for additional funding for outpatient services, but this amount had to be raised in stages to 100 million Forints to meet ongoing needs.

The rationale behind the transfer includes the shrinking financial leeway of the local government in recent years.

There has been a consistent decline in the real value of state subsidies, alongside the central government's increasing retention of local revenue.

Additionally, the municipality has faced difficulties addressing a shortage of medical professionals, with hopes that state management will also facilitate the deployment of healthcare specialists to the facility.

The situation reflects a broader trend within the healthcare sector, where local governments have been struggling to maintain services amid financial pressures, pointing to a growing concern regarding the viability of municipal health services in Hungary.