New medical assistance regulations
Romanian authorities have taken new measures to deal with the novel coronavirus.
Eugen Coroianu, 31.03.2020, 13:50
The medical services and the medicines needed for the treatment of patients infected with coronavirus or suffering from complications are granted to all people on Romanias territory, for as long as the country is in a state of emergency, as stipulated by a government order approved on Monday.
The order also includes a number of new measures regarding the safe access to medical services by both medical staff and patients, by limiting travels and social contact. Thus, during the state of emergency, general practitioners and specialist doctors can hold online consultations, but no more than 8 per hour, by using all communication means available, reads a release of the National Health Insurance House. Doctors will register the online consultation in the patients medical chart and in the consultation registry, and indicate the duration of the online appointment and the communication means used. All medical documents issued to patients following the online consultations will be sent to them online. The family doctor can further issue prescriptions for chronic patients with a stable therapeutic scheme, based on documents that were issued by specialist doctors. Also, during the state of emergency, the use of the health card is no longer compulsory.
The governments spokesman, Ionel Danca, explains: ”The applicability of the framework contract is extended for medical service packages contracted through the National Health Insurance House. Also, the framework contract signed for 2018-2019 is extended with the period of the state of emergency. During this period, the use of the health card is not necessary. Medical services, home care, medical products, medicines and medical devices can be granted and validated without the health card. General practitioners do no longer need to send the information to the online health insurance platform within three days, as it was the case before. ”
The Government has approved some one thousand new jobs at the public health departments and ambulance services, for a 6-month period. The decision comes in the context of a surge in the infections with the novel coronavirus in Romania, which triggered an increase in the number of activities related to active supervision, early diagnosis, isolation and treatment. (Translated by Elena Enache)
