Head of Neonatal ICU warns 'more children will die' due to systemic staff shortages

A dire warning has been issued by the head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ATI Neonatală) at Bucharest's Marie Curie Hospital, stating that "more children will die." Dr. Cătălin Cîrstoveanu asserts that simply unblocking 22 nursing positions will not resolve the ongoing crisis, as the core issue is a systemic failure to retain qualified medical personnel.

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And more will die. Obviously, it won't be solved. For some, it's just statistics. A statistic for some, disbelief for others. I should have said it sooner and more clearly. Otherwise, how do you explain so many deaths on a waiting list? I do not allow untruths to be told.

His alarming statement comes after a second baby died on July 24 while awaiting a spot in the intensive care unit. "For some, it's just statistics. A statistic for some, disbelief for others. I should have said it sooner and more clearly. Otherwise, how do you explain so many deaths on a waiting list?" Dr. Cîrstoveanu stated in an interview. The government had approved the opening of these positions, intended to allow the reopening of five intensive care beds that had been closed due to a lack of staff.

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If two more nurses leave tomorrow, I haven't solved anything. It's a problem of the system. For me, this denotes a misunderstanding of the situation.

However, Dr. Cîrstoveanu argues the problem is far deeper. "If two more nurses leave tomorrow, I haven't solved anything. It's a problem of the system. For me, this denotes a misunderstanding of the situation," he explained. He emphasized that hospitals cannot be treated with identical criteria due to varying case complexities. "Our section has a 100% occupancy rate. This might indicate something to someone who needs to understand things from the numbers," he added.

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Our section has a 100% occupancy rate. This might indicate something to someone who needs to understand things from the numbers.

The doctor revealed that a premature infant in critical condition is already on the waiting list. "We have another premature baby, very small, and colleagues told us it's likely a transposition of great vessels. It's very possible that in a week or two, he will die, if this is the diagnosis. We don't know yet, we just need to establish the diagnosis, because we cannot admit him," Cîrstoveanu warned. He also highlighted the difficulty in attracting and retaining staff, noting that construction workers earn significantly more than his intensive care nurses, even with bonuses. "Who comes for 4,000 lei in an intensive care unit? Who is willing to have so much responsibility, to stand for 12 hours? Sometimes they don't even drink water. Obviously, nobody," he said.

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We have another premature baby, very small, and colleagues told us it's likely a transposition of great vessels. It's very possible that in a week or two, he will die, if this is the diagnosis. We don't know yet, we just need to establish the diagnosis, because we cannot admit him.