Strike in Healthcare: doctors on the Parliament balcony, Rogobete accuses salary cuts

Doctors, nurses and care assistants watched the Parliamentary session from the chamber's public gallery on the second day of the general strike in the healthcare system. The protest is linked to the Pay Act being prepared by the Bolojan Government, which hospital staff hold responsible for reducing their wages, according to Realitatea PLUS.

The presence of medical staff in Parliament was announced by Alexandru Rogobete, a former Health Minister, who asked his fellow parliamentarians to look towards the gallery and applaud the group of doctors, nurses and care assistants in attendance.

"Dear colleagues, before I say a few words, I ask you to look up at the chamber's public gallery, where there is a group of doctors, a group of nurses and a group of care assistants — please applaud them! They have come here so that you can see they exist. The Brave Little Tailor, Ilie Bolojan, has cut until there is nothing left to cut, and has now started patching things up," said Alexandru Rogobete.

Estimated wage losses cited by the former minister

According to Rogobete, an Anaesthesia and Intensive Care doctor could lose 4,000 RON per month from their salary, whilst a care assistant could be left with 1,500 RON less, as a result of the measures set out in the new legislation.

"How can you support a situation where an anaesthesia and intensive care doctor loses 4,000 RON a month from their salary? How can you support a situation where a care assistant who cleans up dozens of patients through the night loses 1,500 RON from their salary?" the former minister asked.

Rogobete also criticised the way in which posts had been distributed through the memorandum adopted the previous evening, stating that the Central Military Hospital in Bucharest had been allocated only four posts, whilst a hospital in Bihor had been given 131.

"How can you support, you hypocrites, that with the memorandum drawn up last night out of political desperation, the Central Military Hospital in Bucharest — in a difficult geopolitical context — was allocated just four posts? And the hospital in Bihor, 131?" he said.

The Social Democrat called on parliamentarians to vote for an amendment concerning the healthcare system, warning that the budget deficit cannot be placed above patients' lives.

"Good people, vote for the amendment and leave healthcare alone — you are destroying it! You have no idea what the healthcare system means! You cannot take an axe to healthcare the way you think you can! The deficit cannot be measured in human lives. Thank you, and well done — we are here for you!" Alexandru Rogobete added.