Romanian health care system "works now"

Health insurance contribution for pensions over 740 lei is necessary to fill some of the system’s finance gaps, the National Health Insurance House (NHIH) representative explained at a debate on crisis and reform in this domain.

The discussion took place in Bucharest on the initiative of the "Academica" Society’s and the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania, the main conclusion reached by those participating, interested or directly involved in the medical system, was that there’s a need for more money and a better administration of them.

Participants discussed methods for increasing funds, but also creating health service standards.

The Romanian health care system is sustainable at the moment, the president of the NHIH said.

He mentioned that, besides the underfinanced health care system, there’s also the problem of the funds allocated to the system, which should be spent more efficiently.

Lucian Duţă, president of the National Health Insurance House believes a system overhaul is needed first of all.

"There’s a lot of discussion about the number of hospitals, about transforming them in health service units or not. We should discuss how we can increase income in the system and the measures announced in the period will cover an important part of the NHIH deficit", Lucian Duţă stated.

An international study reveals that Romania spends a lot on hospitals and that we are the only European country to have more than 50 percent generalist doctors.

The same study reveals that our country has few specialists and there’s no equipment. Also, another World Health Organisation study shows that an efficient way to raise income is the efficient use of human resources.

Victor Olsavszky, WHO representative in Romania, says medical nurses are an underused human resource here.

"In other countries, especially in northern Europe, this resource is used to obtain a lot. We know about Romania’s recent and past experience with the common medical assistant. This is a main piece in the Anglo-Saxon health care. Estimates show that financing increases by 20-30 percent of the total health care expenditures are possible through a more efficient use" according to Victor Olsavszky

Suggestions by "Academica" Society of Romania for rationalising expenditures are: the introduction of reference overheads for prescriptions by doctors and specialists, the rapid finalising of the software system and the health insurance card, reviewing the basic health service package to oust the unessential and approving therapeutic guides and the transfer and warding protocols for persons in the hospital.

Translated by Ciocănel Tudor
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University