Healthcare in Romania - Issues and Challenges

Issues and Challenges

Per capita, Romania has the lowest medical expenses inside the Union.

The medical system has been affected by a lack of medical staff. This is due to the low wages and the attractive working conditions in Southern Europe. Many medics and nurses have decided to go and work in the medical system in Italy, Spain and France.

Another issue is the high level of out-of-pocket spending. Due to the bribing that is "traditionally" practiced ever since the communist era, a sizable amount of patients have reported that they had to bribe the doctors and nurses in order to receive good treatment. Furthermore, another issue is that, in some cases, the hospitals lacked basic supplies, such as tampons and therefore, although the equipment and medicine is there, certain procedures cannot be done until the patient provides the supplies by themselves.