General strike in healthcare: nearly 500 hospitals providing emergency services only

The Romanian healthcare system is facing a significant deadlock: 50,000 medical staff from across the country have entered a general strike, a measure affecting nearly 500 hospitals. Under the law, during a general strike only one third of on-duty staff are required to maintain medical activity, covering emergencies only.

In practice, this means that operations, consultations, investigations, and appointments at specialist outpatient clinics will be postponed for the duration of the protest, which has been launched for an indefinite period.

Talks held at the Cotroceni Palace the day before failed to produce a resolution. Trade unions have also reported that employees who signed up to participate in the strike are being subjected to pressure.

Reasons for the protest

Medical staff's discontent is linked to the proposed pay legislation, which could result in income reductions of up to 6,000 RON for several categories of healthcare workers, as well as the hiring freeze imposed on hospitals by the Government over the past year.

According to cited figures, the healthcare system requires at least 30,000 additional employees to address the staffing shortage. The Ministry of Health has put forward a new memorandum proposing the unblocking of over 7,800 posts, a figure considered insufficient given the actual needs.

Initial outcomes

Following public pressure, 22 nursing posts at Marie Curie Hospital have been unblocked. Furthermore, the Parliamentary Health Committee has adopted an amendment to lift the hiring freeze across the system, with the final decision set to be taken in the full Parliament on Wednesday.

Healthcare representatives say they continue to reject the proposed pay legislation and are calling for it to be discussed with a fully empowered government.