Romanian ex-minister slams hospital cuts based on occupancy

Former Romanian Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete has strongly criticized a proposal to reduce the number of hospitals based on their occupancy rates. Speaking on "Interviurile Adevărul," Rogobete argued that such a measure would cripple the healthcare system's ability to respond to emergencies.

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The solution is not to close hospitals with lower patient numbers, but to transform them into centers for palliative care, chronic patients, rehabilitation, to develop the specialized outpatient area, so that they offer services, but within the scope of demand. These are the real reform measures that the health system needs.

Rogobete specifically warned against using occupancy rates as the sole criterion for hospital efficiency. He highlighted that emergency intensive care units (ICUs) often operate above 90% capacity, far exceeding the recommended 70-75% for emergency facilities. He posed a stark question: "If a drone falls on a block, where do we take the multiple victims if all hospitals have very high occupancy and you have no ICU beds?"

Instead of closing hospitals with lower patient numbers, Rogobete suggested transforming them. He proposed repurposing these facilities into centers for palliative care, chronic illness management, medical rehabilitation, or specialized outpatient clinics. This approach, he believes, would allow hospitals to provide necessary services while adapting to actual system needs, representing a true reform.

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The prime minister makes another big mistake when he talks about occupancy rates. I want to remind him that there are emergency hospitals in this country where the ICU has an occupancy rate of over 90%. That is enormous! International recommendations state that an emergency hospital, and specifically the ICUs, must have an occupancy rate of 70-75%. Why? We are in a difficult geopolitical context.

While critical of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan's specific proposal, Rogobete acknowledged that some of Bolojan's reforms, such as introducing performance criteria, are valid. However, he stressed that these criteria should not lead to a reduction in medical staff or services.

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In the last week, every day I saw a drone entering the airspace. God forbid, one falls on a block. God forbid! At that moment, you have multiple victims. Where do you take those patients if all hospitals have very high occupancy rates and you have no ICU beds?