The statement of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, according to which doctors trained in Romania should be obliged to work in the country for several years after completing their studies, generated strong reactions among health professionals, both in the country and in the diaspora. The leadership of the Romanian College of Physicians (CMR) explained to News.ro under what conditions such an obligation could be justified. A Romanian doctor established in France categorized the measure as unfair and counterproductive.
At the meeting with the mayors of the communes, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan argued that doctors who benefit from state-funded studies and paid residency should work for a while in Romania, including in rural areas or in small towns, where the shortage of personnel is acute.
The Head of the Executive stated that, currently, Romania trains thousands of medical graduates, but only a part end up working in the public system, the rest emigrating or turning to other fields.
We must have the courage to make decisions that do not sound good, but are necessary, said the prime minister.
The position of the management of the College of Doctors: the obligation can only exist in specific situations
Cătălina Poiană, the president of the CMR, does not completely reject the idea, but emphasizes that it can only be applied in certain cases, for example, when a resident doctor filled a position in a specific hospital through competition, and the unit blocked that position for five years for him.
“In such situations, it is natural for the doctor to work for a while in the hospital that reserved the position for him“, explains Poiana.
However, the President of the CMR points out that the real problem is not the lack of obligations, but the lack of conditions: adequate medical infrastructure, multidisciplinary teams, professional safety, the correct payment of guards, especially in small hospitals.
“We are in a European country. We cannot restrict the free movement of doctors. But we can attract them into the system, offering them working conditions and development prospects”pointed out the president of the College of Doctors.
Romanian doctor from France: “If we oblige doctors, then all graduates trained with public money should be obliged”
Dr. Alma Stancu, an oncologist at an important specialized center in Avignon, harshly criticizes the prime minister’s proposal. The doctor believes that the measure would discriminate against doctors and ignore the real contribution of students and residents to the functioning of hospitals.
“If medical graduates should be forced to work for the state, then the same should be applied to other professions trained with public money. Why aren’t economists or engineers also forced to work in deprived areas?”, asks the doctor.
She also draws attention to professional risks, explaining that sending a young doctor to an isolated area, without a team and without support, is “irresponsible”, adding that a lack of motivation would lead to professional abandonment, and the obligation would accelerate the exodus of doctors
“The doctor is not a pawn that you move where society wants or where the politicians want. If you force them, they will leave. And they will be immediately welcomed in other countries“, warns Dr. Stancu.
The problem is neither new nor specific to Romania. France, for example, has been discussing the distribution of doctors in rural areas for years, without having found an effective solution.
In Romania, the discussion returns periodically, against the background of the shortage of medical personnel in many regions. But experts agree on one point: without investment in hospitals, teams and working conditions, no legal obligation will solve the problem.
