The Romanian healthcare system seems to be suffering
\njust as much as the patients seeking its help. Severely under-financed for
\nyears and constantly neglected by the authorities, the healthcare system has
\nmajor problems with negative consequences for the medical staff and patients
\nalike. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Unhappy with the present situation, family doctors
\nhave decided to express their dissatisfaction by refusing to issue subsidised
\nprescriptions and referral letters for two days, on April 1st and 4th.
\nTheir main demand is for the terms for the signing of the addenda to the
\ncontract concluded with the county branches of the national health insurance
\nbodies to be observed. They also say they no longer want to sign the contracts
\nafter the established date as have so far, because in some cases they had to
\npay for the recommended treatment from their own pockets. The family doctors’
\nprotest is a way of sending a warning signal over a situation that has become a
\npattern in recent years, as Rodica Tanasescu, the head of the National Society
\nfor Family Medicine, tells us:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
For ten years we have been put in the uncomfortable
\nsituation of having to illegally sign contracts retroactively. An addendum must
\nbe signed while the previous contract is still valid. Our protest is a signal
\nthat we want to start doing things in a legal, natural manner. Some of us are
\nwilling to go all the way with the protest, while others are afraid to go on
\nafter receiving certain phone calls.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Rodica Tanasescu has pointed out that the family
\ndoctors’ protest is also a way of raising awareness to the fact that important
\nlegal changes are needed for the contract that is to be signed in less than
\nthree months. Protesters have also requested a doubling of the funds allotted
\nto primary care. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Health Minister Patriciu Achimas Cadariu hopes for a
\nbudget revision that should bring additional funds to the healthcare system:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We have postponed the adoption of the contract’s new
\nprovisions, and when we have a reevaluation of the entire system we can only
\nhope it will also bring along a budget revision. I call on all the people
\ninvolved to act responsibly. The health insurance bodies have done their job
\nand the system of signing the addenda has always worked. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Two organisations representing family doctors have
\ndrawn up a document warning that family medicine is not a priority for the
\ngovernment when creating the budget and the country’s economic policies and
\nthat without the work of the family doctors the medical system will collapse.
\nThe document, which has been sent to all important health-related institutions
\nin the country and the president, emphasises that the total amount earmarked
\nfor the health system this year accounts for 4.2% of the GDP, but that the
\nstate’s contribution to the GDP is only 0.86%. The rest is covered by people’s
\nown contributions to the health insurance system. In other words, the document
\nsays, while the state supposedly provides free healthcare services to its
\ncitizens, it relies almost exclusively on the contribution of citizens and
\nemployers who pay health insurance contributions. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Severely under-financed, the Romanian healthcare system faces major problems with negative consequences for the medical staff and patients alike.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":68042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[29225,116464],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-68041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-healthcare","tag-romania-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n