Rogobete warns: hospitals risk running out of emergency supplies

Former Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete has issued a warning about the financial situation of hospitals in Romania, claiming that emergency departments are at risk of running out of basic medical supplies.

When asked whether the financial difficulties facing hospitals could ultimately endanger patients' lives, Rogobete responded bluntly: "If emergency departments run out of supplies, then unfortunately, yes."

Emergency programme budgets "stretched to the limit"

According to the former minister, budgets allocated to priority services — including programmes for intensive care, strokes, and heart attacks — have reached their limits. He states that he had previously flagged these issues regarding the funding of essential medical programmes.

Rogobete provided a concrete example: "At the CC Iliescu Institute in Bucharest, the National Health Insurance House did not transfer a single leu, not a single penny, in September for the most important cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular surgery programmes. It is utter madness."

The former minister believes that the authorities should urgently increase funding for emergency reception units (UPU) and intensive care units (ICU): "I don't understand why they don't urgently top up, from the Government's reserve fund, the programmes for emergency reception units and intensive care, because that is where the greatest concentration of emergencies occurs."

Criticism of the National Health Insurance House

Rogobete also criticised the management of the National Health Insurance House (CNAS) budget, asserting that the institution could redistribute funds between medical programmes according to need: "It is showing a complete lack of vision at this time of crisis, because it has the ability to move money between the programmes it oversees."

In his view, some programmes have lower financial expenditure, and available funds could be redirected accordingly: "There are certain programmes where financial consumption is lower, and funds could be urgently transferred to other programmes."

The gap between the amount requested and the amount received

The former minister also spoke about the budget for emergency services that was approved during his tenure. According to him, the Ministry of Health requested 660 million RON but received only 490 million RON.

"The Ministry of Health requested 660 million for emergency services. There are documents to support this. Bolojan initially cut 10% to reduce the deficit, and then further cuts were made during recalculation. The fact is that the ministry received 490 million out of what it had requested," Rogobete explained.

Annual budget approved only in March

Rogobete noted that the budget for the current year was only approved in March, and until then institutions had been operating under the one-twelfth rule of the annual budget. As a result, January, February, and part of March were spent under constrained financial conditions, with a significant portion of funds used to clear outstanding debts.

The former minister argues that this situation has placed additional pressure on hospitals and medical staff.

"An unprecedented situation"

Rogobete states that hospital employees are facing unprecedented pressure due to the financial difficulties: "Never before have Romanian hospitals had to draw on emergency reserve supplies."

According to him, the funding of emergency medical services must be resolved swiftly so that hospitals can ensure they have the necessary supplies to treat patients.