Romaniaaa‚¬a„¢s polluting and inefficient healthcare system will undergo serious repairs

Newsroom 02/08/2011 | 08:30

Jeffrey Franks, head of IMF mission in Romania, compared the healthcare system in Romania to an old, polluting car that consumes 30 l/km, while the Romanian government has only 25 l worth of gas. This statement was made in the Finance-Budget Commission of the Parliament, last week.

In a public statement, president Traian Basescu acknowledged that the healthcare system in Romania is underfunded, due to a gap between contributors and those who benefit from the system, in addition to a lack of control in healthcare expenditures. Basescu went on saying that RON 300 million worth of arrears for medicaments and equipment will be paid. More funds will be disbursed on the basis that criteria are met, similar to Romania’s relationship with the IMF, where funds were made available as progress targets were met.

Prime Minister Emil Boc made the government’s intention on healthcare clear, in a televised appearance at TVR (state television). A legislative plan for a minimum healthcare coverage plan for contributors will go through Parliament and be made available by March 2012. The claw-back tax, a 5 to 11 percent of revenues that medicament producers and distributors have to pay, will also be reviewed, although Jeffrey Franks, head of IMF mission in Romania, states that it proved inefficient. Additional improvements to the healthcare system includes switching from expensive medicaments to generic ones, as the therapeutic effect is the same for the patient, but would significantly improve the Health Minister finances.

A National Health Card and electronic prescriptions will also be enforced, as part of plan to make the healthcare system more efficient. Furthermore, the co-payment system will also be reviewed in order to prevent abuses in the system.

Ovidiu Posirca