Rogobete: The Government is weakening healthcare while talking about national security

Alexandru Rogobete, former Minister of Health and PSD member, argues that the Government is weakening the healthcare system at the very time Romania is facing security incidents at its borders. In his view, public health must be treated as part of national defence, since doctors and hospital staff are the ones who respond in the event of attacks, major accidents, earthquakes, or mass casualty incidents.

Healthcare as part of national defence

The former minister extended his thanks to Romanian servicemen and women for the way they handled the incidents involving drones that appeared near the country's borders. At the same time, he draws attention to the fact that, alongside rhetoric about national security, the Government is adopting measures that weaken hospitals and reduce their capacity to respond effectively in emergency situations.

"The healthcare system is part of Romania's defence system. Because when there is an attack, a major accident, an earthquake, or dozens of simultaneous casualties, it is not tanks that operate on people. It is not aircraft that ventilate them in intensive care. It is not political speeches that save them. It is doctors, nurses, orderlies, and all medical personnel in hospitals who do," said Alexandru Rogobete.

Recruitment freezes and reduced income

Rogobete criticises the freeze on recruitment in healthcare, as well as measures that would lead to a reduction in medical staff salaries. He warns that these decisions are pushing employees towards burnout and may drive them to leave the country, transforming the problem from a strictly economic one into a matter of national security.

"A state that deliberately weakens its healthcare system whilst talking about national defence is sabotaging itself. This is no longer merely an economic decision. It is a matter of national security," the Social Democrat added.

Appeal to the Prime Minister: "Take a step back"

The former minister states that an intensive care bed, a functioning operating theatre, and a doctor who chooses to remain in Romania matter for the country's security just as much as military equipment. He believes that the Government's current measures are jeopardising one of the state's essential pillars.

"The most dangerous attack on Romania is not always one that comes from beyond its borders. Sometimes, it comes from decisions made at the Government's own table," Rogobete stated.

He calls on the Prime Minister to abandon the policies he considers harmful to the healthcare system: "When decisions weaken one of the fundamental pillars of national security, it is time to take a step back and make way for those who can build, not merely cut," Alexandru Rogobete concluded.