23rd September: Private v Public

This article from Nine O'Clock and no comment from us:

One in five Romanians choose private clinic treatments

23.09.10 | by: Nine oClock | in: homenews

In the midst of recession, the profits made by private clinics and hospitals in Romania are about to double, states a report published by daily ‘Gandul.’ Even the poorest patients choose to pay for private medical services. The total turnover of private clinics and hospitals in Romania may reach EUR 500 M in 2010, while the Ministry of Health’s budget amounted to approximately EUR 1 bln, before the rectification. About 20 per cent of people in need of medical assistance turn to the private sector services, Vasile Barbu, chairman of the Association for Patients’ Protection (APP), estimates. The heads of private clinics see the numbers of clients rising by the day. Often, patients are forced to pay for certain tests in hospital, and, therefore, choose to go to private clinics.

On the other hand, in the state system a fierce battle is likely to ensue for the 1,000 positions open to intermediary medical staff. The positions advertised for doctors in hospitals in remote areas risk remaining vacant. The exact list of positions in healthcare unblocked after the Giulesti Maternity tragedy was released: 2,322 positions are advertised. Out of these, 1,075 positions are open to nurses, 963 to physicians, 67 to pharmacists and 217 to auxiliary staff. The fiercest competition will affect nursing positions. In the capital, the highest number of positions open (31) is reported at the Floreasca Emergency Hospital: 20 for doctors, 10 for the intermediary staff and one for auxiliary staff. “I think there’s going to be a lot of competition. For instance, there will be at least two competitors for one position in emergency healthcare. There are already 10 graduates who will apply to our hospital alone,” the spokesman for the hospital, Bogdan Oprita, stated, quoted by “Evenimentul Zilei”.