Strike in hospitals: thousands of patients waited hours in corridors

Romania's healthcare system was brought to a standstill by a large-scale protest involving more than 100,000 employees from over 500 hospitals across the country. Their grievances centre on the impact of the new pay legislation on their earnings.

In many medical facilities, only emergency cases were treated, whilst scheduled consultations and operations were postponed. The healthcare workers' protest lasted two hours, during which thousands of patients were left waiting in hospital corridors.

What healthcare workers are saying

A doctor explained the reasons behind the protest to Realitatea PLUS: "We must make it clear that this strike is not directed against patients. It is a warning signal to the current government regarding the pay legislation, which is a disaster. We are already starting from a significant deficit — and when I say significant deficit, I mean holiday vouchers cut, meal allowances cut, bonuses cut, and salaries reduced."

Another doctor drew attention to the long-term consequences of the new legislation: "The financial impact is devastating. The remuneration is simply not fair given the work we are currently putting in at hospitals, and it does nothing but affect us mentally, physically, and also the quality of medical care, because we work under pressure, we work under stress, and we work with people's lives every single day."

A third healthcare worker criticised the authorities' lack of willingness to engage in dialogue: "I hold them very much responsible for refusing to agree to talks. And that says it all. The fact that they did not want to engage with our leaders, that they want to enact the law whilst we receive nothing in return — they have backed us into a corner, but we will not give in."