Hungary PM defends mass evacuation of hospital beds

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban defended Friday his decision to free up thousands of hospital beds for coronavirus patients, despite criticism by some experts who say the move endangers the lives of people with other serious medical conditions.

On April 7, Hungary's minister in charge of health ordered hospitals to keep at least 60 percent of the country's around 70,000 hospital beds free for patients infected with COVID-19.

"We are right in the middle of a large military-like operation, which is causing discomfort," Orban said in his weekly public radio address Friday.

"Obviously, this was an uncomfortable decision, but we can't solve it differently," he said.

Hungary, which has a population of almost 10 million, has recorded nearly 1,800 COVID-19 infections and 156 deaths.

But Orban said the number of cases was expected to grow significantly as Hungary "enters a mass infection phase."