Dr. Radu Țincu: shortage of medical staff directly affects hospital patients

Intensive care physician Radu Țincu raised the alarm, during an appearance on the programme "Miza Zilei" (hosted by Anamaria Păcuraru), that the staffing crisis in Romanian hospitals cannot be resolved through stopgap measures or memoranda signed in emergency sessions. He argues that performance criteria applicable at every level of the healthcare system must be introduced, and that the consequences of staff shortages fall, first and foremost, on patients.

Why he is calling for performance criteria across the entire system

Țincu notes that there are significant differences between hospitals across the country – some have managed to resolve their staffing problems, others have not – and this proves that change is possible. In his view, performance criteria should target not only hospitals, but also the County Councils that oversee them, as well as hospital managers and heads of department.

"If we do not introduce performance criteria into the healthcare system, and everyone continues to be paid without any shared benchmarks, this will do nothing to drive productivity," the physician said, adding that no County Council president will act to address the problems of a hospital under their authority if there are no repercussions for them as decision-makers.

"Politics is sacrificing the population"

The physician states that the staff shortage affects not only healthcare workers, but above all the patients who end up in hospital. He cited the example of the nurse-to-patient ratio: instead of one nurse to 25 patients, it should be approximately one to half that number. In intensive care units, legislation stipulates one nurse to every two patients, yet in practice one nurse can be responsible for six or seven patients, meaning some receive inadequate care.

Țincu also mentioned the tragedy of colleagues who died young following shifts lasting dozens of hours, describing the situation as "extremely serious" for a country that is burning out its medical staff. He made direct reference to "the two babies who are today in a cemetery instead of having been saved in a neonatal unit", arguing that the system must be able to provide the services that people who pay health insurance contributions are entitled to expect.

Criticism of temporary fixes

The physician criticised the way authorities handle crises in healthcare, citing as an example the unblocking, through an extraordinary cabinet meeting, of the 22 posts requested by Professor Cîrstoveanu. "It is shameful that a country in the European Union, in 2026, is unblocking the famous 22 posts through extraordinary government sessions," he stated.

Țincu also recalled other past moments in which tragedies prompted short-lived reactions, with no long-term solutions: the Colectiv fire, which led to the creation of burns units that were subsequently abandoned, and the investments made during the pandemic, which were never followed through. "We have a short memory. These tragedies hold our attention for a brief period, after which we forget everything. We keep repeating mistake after mistake, in a way that suggests we have no vision whatsoever, no sense of direction," the physician concluded.