Romania’s healthcare sector is threatening to stage a general strike next month to protest the low wages and staff shortages that have plagued hospitals following the government’s decision to freeze the hiring process and cut healthcare funds last year.
Viorel Hușanu, president of the SANITAS Bucharest branch, made the announcement in an interview with Digi 24 on Saturday.
“Since the start of this year, we have been exhausted from work, while other public servants haven’t even returned from vacations,” Hușanu told Digi24.
“Emergency rooms and departments are full, and we are understaffed,” he added, adding that there is an urgent need for more than 30,000 new staff and noting that the leaders of the two governing parties, Marcel Ciolacu and Nicolae Ciucă, had not met the pledge they had made last year of opening 15,000 positions for recruitment.
Another bone of contention is the low salaries nurses and assistants currently receive.
“A nurse’s salary is close to the minimum wage, ranging between 3000 lei (around €600) and 4000 lei (around €800), and this freeze on positions has led to exhaustion”, Hușanu explained.
The situation is dire even in Bucharest, where a children’s hospital’s emergency room was at risk of closure last week due to staff shortages.
Following the government’s decision to freeze hiring, over 40 nurses from the Gomoiu Children’s Hospital who resigned could not even be replaced.
The Bucharest Hospitals and Medical Services Administration stated that they have sent numerous requests to the government to unblock positions in the capital’s hospitals. Still, the government ”has chosen to completely ignore these pleas.”
Health Minister Alexandru Rafila mentioned on Saturday that both the Health Ministry, for hospitals under its authority, and the Development Ministry, for hospitals under local authorities, have submitted memoranda since mid-2023 to unlock and open positions for recruitment.
However, these memoranda were not approved by the Finance Ministry.
“While I understand that there is a problem related to the budget deficit, I hope we can overcome this unpleasant moment,” Rafila added.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated on Thursday in a government meeting that he aims to quickly address the issue of resident doctors who passed the exam at the end of last year, noting that there are approximately 4,500 doctors in whom the state has invested hundreds of millions of euros, and they need to be retained in the country.
Opposition party USR contends that despite the personnel shortage in the healthcare system, the PSD and PNL “hired 1,000 people” each month last year, alleging that these were “political connections” rather than necessary hires.
Romania’s healthcare system has faced various challenges for many years, ranging from insufficient funding to a shortage of personnel due to the migration of many doctors, nurses, and assistants to other EU member states.
(Cătălina Mihai | Euractiv.ro)
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