ROMANIA

Country Report, October 2024

In the last two months of this year, the second series of parliamentary and presidential elections will take place.

The salary fund of employees in the health and social assistance sector was increased in two installments: the first installment in March and the second in June, in total by 20%. Salary increases are not unitary 20% - but differ for each category of employees in the system. By distributing this money, an attempt was made to "remove inequities", declared the Minister of Health. Perhaps surprisingly, at least in percentage terms, the largest salary increases were achieved by medical assistants 40%, nurses 40%, stretcher bearers 45%, medical residents 25%, as well as biologists, chemists, biochemists, psychologists and physical therapists 25%. Specialist and primary care doctors obtained a percentage increase of 13%, but it must be stated that the level of their salaries and increases is much higher than that of other categories of employees in the health system. 

According to a recent study, only 4 out of 10 Romanians declare themselves satisfied with the interaction with the medical system. Doctors say that trust in the health system has eroded with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is a need to educate the population about health.

Approximately 30% of hospitals in Romania currently have a major funding deficit. The Romanian health sector has been suffering from chronic underfunding for a very long time.