Problems at the Ministry of Health with PNRR-funded hospitals

The Romanian Government is facing a delicate situation in the healthcare sector, after a recent review of projects funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) revealed serious problems at the Ministry of Health. The situation puts at risk the timely completion of hospitals that are vital for the care of elderly patients and the wider population.

At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, investment projects across several sectors were reviewed, including health, education, and infrastructure. The most concerning issue identified concerns the urgent need to advance a number of pending Government Decisions stalled at the Ministry of Health, which would secure the continuation of payments for construction work on PNRR-funded hospitals.

The deadline for completing these hospital projects is the end of August — an extremely close date that places enormous pressure on the system. For older people and their families who depend on quality medical services, delays in the construction or modernisation of hospitals can have serious consequences for access to specialist healthcare.

To resolve the crisis, the Prime Minister asked investment coordinators to urgently assess the state budget funding needs that complement PNRR resources. This information will be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, which will ensure the budgetary resources needed to maintain the flow of payments to ongoing projects.

The Government is also planning organisational adjustments within ministries to ensure the human resources necessary for verifying payment requests. Ministries experiencing delays will receive support from the Ministry of Investments and European Projects — a measure that could help accelerate the bureaucratic processes hampering project implementation.

Against this backdrop, Romania is preparing for crucial negotiations with European Commission representatives, scheduled for 22 May in Brussels. These discussions will address the final version of the PNRR, with the aim of making full use of the available funds for investment projects, covering both non-reimbursable grants and the loan component.

Current progress on PNRR implementation shows that Romania has surpassed the 60% threshold following the approval of its fourth payment request, worth 2.62 billion euros. Nevertheless, the country still needs to draw approximately 10 billion euros through payment requests 5 and 6 in order to fully complete the PNRR.

For the elderly population — the primary beneficiaries of hospital services — these delays in the healthcare sector may mean postponed access to modern medical equipment, refurbished wards, and improved services. It is essential that the authorities swiftly find solutions to unblock the situation at the Ministry of Health and ensure the timely completion of investments in medical infrastructure.