Romania\u2019s underfinanced healthcare system still has a lot of problems to solve. The patients, who have to make sense of a bureaucratic maze and sometimes to pay for their medicines even while receiving in-hospital care, are well aware of these problems. So are the authorities, which try to manage the budgets in a well-balanced manner. But perhaps the ones who know it the best are the doctors and nurses, those who work in the system and face these problems on a daily basis.<\/p>\n
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A work-to-rule strike started on Monday, at the initiative of the Romanian Federation of Physician Unions and the \u201cHipocrat\u201d Union Federation in Romania, which claims to represent over 7,000 employees in the sector. Their demands concern a consistent salary system, the payment of bonuses, and the implementation of working hour standards. Here is the vice-president of the National Association of Family Medicine, Sandra Alexiu, with details:<\/p>\n
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“The most important thing we demand is better funding for family medicine. The World Bank recommends a minimum of 9%, and this year we only receive 5.8%. The second key demand concerns the operation of the computerised system. Unfortunately, this system is glitchy, sluggish and often malfunctions, essentially affecting our work with our patients<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s work-to-rule strike is the first in a series of protests announced by unionists. The leader of the \u201cHipocrat\u201d Federation, Ion Cotojman, announced a timetable for the events:<\/p>\n
\u201cOn March 28, we will present our demands in the Chamber of Deputies, at the Committee on Healthcare, on March 31 we will be picketing the Labour Ministry headquarters, on April 7, which is the World Health Day, we will picket the Healthcare Ministry. If by that date no solutions are found to our demands, on April 11 we will organise a warning strike, with work suspended for 2 hours every day for a week. If this fails, too, then the doctors and all healthcare staff are determined to go on an indefinite strike as of April 18<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Healthcare Minister, Patriciu Achimas Cadariu said he was in favour of a further 25% salary increase in the sector this year, after a similar raise operated last year, and voiced support for a new Memorandum, subject to the approval of the Government, to allow healthcare units to hire new staff.<\/p>\n
(Translated by AM Popescu)<\/p>\n
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