Romanian healthcare system ranked the weakest in Europe

For the second consecutive year, Romania ranks last (34^th) in the Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI), with a medical system that is worse than in those found in countries like Bulgaria, Albania, Macedonia or Montenegro.

Romania got the lowest scores for most important indicators taken into account by the index – patients’ rights and information, accessibility (waiting times for treatment), results of treatment, range and scope of services offered, prevention and pharmaceuticals.

The study concludes that “Romania does have severe problems with the management of its entire public sector. In healthcare, discrimination of minority groups such as roma (3.5 – 4 percent of the population) shows as poor Outcomes ratios, which in the EHCI 2017 is unfortunately punished harder than in previous editions”.

“Albania, Romania and Bulgaria are suffering from an antiquated healthcare structure, with a high and costly ratio of in-patient care over out-patient care”, the study finds, and while “Italians prefer long hospital admissions, they can afford it; Bulgaria Romania and Albania cannot! They should receive professional support to restructure their healthcare services!”

Romania takes the first place in negative indicators such as the rate of treatment-resistant hospital-acquired infections, infant mortality and mortality caused by cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The best healthcare system according to EHCI 2017 is in the Netherlands, which “probably has the best and most structured arrangement for patient organisation participation in healthcare decision and policymaking in Europe”, and where “financing agencies and healthcare amateurs such as politicians and bureaucrats seem farther removed from operative healthcare decisions than in almost any other European country”.