Decision on the financing of private hospitals "by March"

Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu announced that next week will start discussions with representatives of private hospitals and that a decision on limiting their funding will be made only with the approval of the government framework contract for 2013.

March the 1st is the nearest deadline advanced by the health minister to finalize the document because first of all the budget has to be approved.

"For their peace, all private hospitals will be funded for what means specialized outpatient, for daily admission, for those hospitals that are locally unique and there is no public system, neither for specialties that are unique and there is no public system.

"In other words, the citizens of that community will not have any problems in accessing health services," said the minister.

Health Minister also said that no decision has yet been taken about the situation of doctors working both in the state and private sectors.

In a note submitted to the health ministry executive on Wednesday, it is shown that the double quality both as an employee of the medical staff must be analyzed from the perspective of a potential conflict of interest, and for that recruit patients in public services for the benefit of private establishments.

Representatives of doctors say that what makes doctors to work in two places are low wages and not take any steps to increase them.

"The real problem is that although the health ministry budget has increased by a billion euro, this billion does not go to the medical staff, not even a cent, but goes to drug companies.

"The doctors work both in the public and private system, not by choice, but because of low income, they acquire in the public system," said College President Vasile Astarastoae.


Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University