According to Article 34 of the Constitution of Romania, the right to health care is guaranteed for every citizen; furthermore, the state is obliged to take measures to ensure hygiene and public health. Thus, following the legal basis of the country’s health system, every insured Romanian citizen has the right to free and unrestricted medical services. However, Romania’s health system struggles to reform. Unlike other countries - such as
, which allocates 13 percent of its gross domestic product to health expenditure -
is approximately six percent of its GDP. The budget limitations, along with the lack of proper medical equipment and corruption, led to concerning working conditions for the country's
compared to other countries in the EU.
An outdated healthcare infrastructure
In May 2024, the feasibility study was finished for one of the most modern hospitals in Romania - Pitești State Hospital is expected to be finished in 2028, Argeș county being the first to have two newly built state hospitals since the fall of communism. However, this does not change the fact that the country’s medical infrastructure consists of buildings at least over 35 years old.
In 2023, Romania had a total of 554
hospitals. Out of these, only four were built after 1989: National Institute of Oncology in Iași; Municipal Hospital in Mioveni; Municipal Hospital in Fălticeni and Gomoiu Hospital for Children in Bucharest. This led to a fast development of the private medical healthcare sector, which totaled 163
private clinics in 2023. Due to financial reasons and better working conditions, individuals employed in state-owned hospitals often have additional working contracts with private clinics, hospitals, or laboratories.
Corruption – or when the scalpel is political
No medical heathcare system can be successful if the financial resources – already limited – are diverted and, more importantly, if people cannot benefit from the necessary medical services. Corruption in the healthcare industry is often seen in the form of defrauding the public procurement process of medical equipment - an issue commonly associated in Romania with the hospital manager’s political party. Another practice which has become disturbingly common is the
envelope. In other words, patients provide a symbolic amount of money to the medical personnel in order to be taken care of. Although mass-media inform Romanians about big corruption cases and money prejudice caused to the public healthcare system, small corruption acts, or mere gifts, have long been accepted and normalized in the society.
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