Minister of Health: the 22 positions at Marie Curie do not resolve the staffing crisis

The interim Minister of Health, Cseke Attila, stated on Thursday that unblocking the 22 nursing positions at the "Marie Curie" Hospital is merely a targeted measure and does not resolve the broader issue of staff shortages across Romania's healthcare system.

What was approved

At Thursday's Government meeting, the Memorandum proposed by the Ministry of Health was approved, concerning the organisation of competitions to fill 22 vacant nursing posts at the "M.S. Curie" Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children. The Minister noted, however, that this approval addresses only an isolated situation, rather than the major problem facing Romania's entire healthcare system.

"We cannot abandon the other hospitals in Romania"

Cseke Attila emphasised that hospitals across the country continue to operate with a critical staff deficit. "Approving the 22 posts for the «M.S. Curie» Hospital was absolutely necessary, and I am pleased that this initiative has been approved. It is one of the most important paediatric hospitals in Romania. However, we cannot consider that the issue of human resources in healthcare has been resolved. We cannot abandon the other hospitals in Romania, which are facing the same difficulties. In many healthcare units, staff shortages directly affect patients' access to medical services and place enormous pressure on medical staff. The Ministry of Health is not giving up on efforts to unblock vacant posts within the healthcare system. Patients in Romania need sufficient medical staff in all hospitals, not just in a handful of units," the Minister stated.

Progress on the project to unblock posts

The Ministry of Health indicated that the broader project concerning the unblocking of vacant posts within the healthcare system is nearing the end of the approval process, having already received ten favourable opinions from the relevant institutions.

The Ministry further noted that human resources remain the essential element of the healthcare system, and that investment in personnel is just as important as investment in infrastructure or medical equipment. Without a sufficient number of doctors, nurses, and auxiliary staff, hospitals cannot respond effectively to patients' needs, regardless of the technical facilities at their disposal, according to the Ministry.