Alexandru Rogobete, the Minister of Health, announced the launch of an extensive control at a public hospital, after a doctor employed in both the public and private systems, allegedly carried out surgical activity at a private unit during the working hours of the state.
“For almost seven months I have been saying obsessively, firmly, publicly and unequivocally: I am against those who leave the public hospital during working hours to work in the private system”the minister said in a post on Facebook. He emphasized that “it is not a populist theme”, but “a matter of principle, law and respect for the patient”.
Rogobete explained that he supports the right of medical personnel to work privately, however “after hours to the public. Not on their time. Not on the state’s money. Not on patients’ trust.”
The case invoked by the minister started from the publication of a video on the page of a private health unit, in which a doctor also employed at a public hospital explains that, at 12:00, on a Thursday, he was preparing for the second surgical intervention. In this context, the Ministry of Health requested the management of the public hospital about the leave situation for the month of February.
“The response was exactly what we anticipated,” stated Rogobete, pointing out that there was a written request on February 12 for leave on the same day, although the legislation stipulates that rest days must be requested at least 15 days in advance. At the same time, the request was not registered with the RUNOS Service and was not approved by the health unit manager. “So the leave request is NOT valid”, emphasized the minister.
In parallel, the private health unit would have confirmed that the doctor performed two surgeries on the same day, at 08:40 and at 12:45, which, according to the minister, confirms his presence in the operating room during the state program. Also, Rogobete stated that the doctor’s activity at the public hospital would indicate, for the year 2025, “an average of one surgery per week and one patient per week in the specialist outpatient clinic”.
“As Minister of Health, I cannot ignore these things,” he sent, announcing that, starting on Monday, the Control Body of the Minister of Health will go to the public hospital for an extensive investigation regarding compliance with the work schedule.
The minister also stated that the incident “will generate unprecedented national scrutiny”which he publicly assumes and which “will lead to significant legislative changes”.
Finally, Rogobete emphasized that he does not want to generalize, but that such situations “they are not fair neither to the workers, nor to the patients, nor to the entire health system”reiterating that “trust makes us good”.
