ABSTRACT
This manuscript provides a brief review and analysis of the healthcare system in Romania. This study aims to comprehensively analyse the healthcare system in Romania, evaluating its strengths, weaknesses, and impact on the population's access to quality healthcare services. Within the framework of the Romanian healthcare system, a multitude of pressing challenges endure. These encompass insufficient funding, shortages of medical personnel, and ineffectiveness in the provisioning of services. These impediments substantially hinder the accessibility of healthcare services, particularly in outlying and pastoral regions, thereby rendering the system susceptible and underserving certain demographics. Our investigation presents three hypotheses. The opening conjecture proposes that inadequate funding has a negative impact on the availability and standard of healthcare facilities in Romania. In addition, another hypothesis assumes that insufficient medical staff plays a considerable role in inequalities in access to and delivery of healthcare. Moreover, the existence of inadequacies in service provision serves as a significant barrier, obstructing the timely and efficient delivery of healthcare to those who need it. Our research encompasses a comprehensive analysis of key aspects of the Romanian healthcare system, ranging from healthcare infrastructure and financing mechanisms to service delivery and healthcare outcomes. Through a blend of qualitative and quantitative data sources, including government reports, academic studies, and statistical data, we have endeavoured to provide an in-depth evaluation. The analysis encompasses various aspects, including healthcare infrastructure, financing mechanisms, service delivery, and healthcare outcomes. Romania has a mixed healthcare system with both public and private providers. The primary level of care is delivered by family doctors, while hospitals and specialised medical centres provide secondary and tertiary care services. This research underlines the criticality of significant alterations being implemented in the healthcare system of Romania to address the issues arising from insufficient funding, a shortage of medical personnel, and shortcomings in service delivery. It is vital to tackle the obstacles presented by insufficient funding, the dearth of healthcare staff, and inadequacies in service delivery to attain impartial and reachable healthcare. By implementing these essential transformations, Romania can pave the way towards a healthcare system that efficaciously caters to the diverse requirements of its populace and guarantees the provision of prompt and superior healthcare services.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Caesarean section rates have continued to trend upward in most countries, including Romania, creating a number of economic challenges. In the public health system, there is no regulation for performing Caesarean sections on demand; it is often done unlawfully, and in private hospitals, it is a real business. Thus, this study aims to investigate the budgetary impact at a hospital level and the profit per procedure by introducing on-demand caesarean sections for a fee. METHODS: This study was conducted in one of the largest maternity units in Western Romania-the "Bega" Maternity Clinic of the Timisoara County Emergency Hospital. For the analysis, the difference between a proposed occupancy rate (between 50 and 85%, increasing every 5 percent) and the actual occupancy rate was calculated. Considering that this difference can be used to admit patients to receive Caesarean sections on demand for a fee, the profit that could be obtained during the study period was calculated. RESULTS: It is reported that between 238 (proposed occupancy rate of 50%) and 4683 patients (a proposed occupancy rate of 85%) could have benefited from on-demand caesarean section surgery in 2017-2019. Between RON 419,999 and RON 8,551,636 could be obtained in the 3 years of study by implementing caesarean section against payment. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a system of on-demand payment for caesarean sections in Romania would bring significant profits to the hospital budget.
