General Strike Announced in Romanian Healthcare Next Week; Most Investigations and Operations to Be Postponed

Romania's healthcare system faces significant disruption as medical staff prepare for a general strike beginning July 28. The industrial action, organized by SANITAS trade unions, follows failed negotiations with the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health. A warning strike is scheduled for July 20, with the full strike commencing later in the month.

“

Greva cadrelor medicale reprezintă o problemă extrem de delicată pentru pacienți, întrucât majoritatea acestora vor resimți în mod direct consecințele negative ale întreruperii activității medicale.

Vice-president of SANITAS, Răzvan Gae, announced that only emergency services, such as emergency rooms and intensive care units, will continue to operate. Approximately 66% of hospital activities will be halted, leading to the postponement of scheduled interventions and non-urgent procedures. Patients are advised to reschedule their appointments.

Vasile Barbu, president of the National Association for Patient Protection, expressed concern over the strike's impact. He warned that delays in investigations and treatments could transform seemingly minor ailments into medical emergencies. Barbu highlighted that patients undergoing multi-stage diagnostic processes might have to restart their evaluations if the strike is prolonged, potentially losing the chance for early diagnosis and timely treatment. He noted that conditions like pneumonia or digestive infections, while not immediately appearing urgent, can rapidly develop serious complications within days without prompt medical attention.

“

În primul rând, pacienții care se aflau în cursul unor investigații pentru afecțiuni ce necesită mai multe etape de evaluare clinică și paraclinică vor fi nevoiți să întrerupă acest proces, iar dacă greva se prelungește, vor trebui să reia totul de la început, ceea ce poate duce la pierderea șansei unui diagnostic precoce și a unui tratament administrat la timp, cu riscul ca boala să se complice.

Barbu emphasized that the healthcare system is already in a deep crisis, characterized by staff shortages and overburdened medical personnel. He suggested that the strike, while difficult for patients, is also a fight for patient safety, as it highlights the pre-existing systemic issues. The union's decision to strike stems from a lack of concrete responses from the government to their demands.

“

Există numeroase afecțiuni, cum ar fi pneumonia sau bolile infecțioase digestive, care, deși nu par urgente la prima vedere, pot evolua în doar două-trei zile spre complicații grave dacă nu sunt investigate și tratate prompt