More than 400 million euros were directed to the digitization of 207 hospitals, all Public Health Directorates and all ambulance services in the country.
Ambulance services in Romania, digitized. Source: archive
Being in Brussels, the Secretary of State from the Ministry of Health, Dr. Alexandru Rogobete, participated in the round table “Cyber security for digital health systems”, organized by the Romanian Embassy in Brussels. In his intervention about the vision our country has regarding the digitalization of the Health system, the Romanian official detailed the main directions in which 2 billion lei have already been pumped, funds allocated through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
“I was honored to be invited and participate in this round table, organized by the Romanian Embassy in Brussels. I presented Romania’s vision for the digitalization of the Health system, an approach designed to integrate all components and ensure interoperability with existing systems”, said Alexandru Rogobete, emphasizing that all the steps already taken demonstrate the country’s commitment to modernize the medical infrastructure, including the use of the latest technologies.
The Ministry of Health has already allocated 2 billion lei (over 400 million euros) from the funds of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the Health Program for the digitization of the health system in Romania, as follows:
- 500 million lei for the digitalization of the IT systems of the National Health Insurance Company (CNAS);
- 500 million lei for the digitization of administrative and financial flows in the Ministry of Health and for interoperability with hospitals;
- 800 million lei for digitizing hospitals and connecting them to existing digital platforms at national level;
- 200 million lei for the creation of a national telemedicine system.
Concrete projects already carried out by the Ministry of Health include 207 hospitals that received funds for digitization, followed by the digitization of all Public Health Directorates and all Ambulance Services in Romania.
“The digitalization needs of hospitals vary greatly from case to case. But the very large number of approved applications, 207, confirms that we managed to find a very good mix between the components eligible for funding and the urgent needs in the system: technical equipment, security, training and integrated and interoperable solutions, both for the clinical and the non-clinical”, declared Dr. Alexandru Rafila, the Minister of Health, in March, when he approved the financing of 745 million lei for the digitization of the 207 hospitals.
Alexandru Rogobete, State Secretary in the Ministry of Health
What does digitization of the medical system mean: safety and security
In a medical system, digitization enables rapid access to medical data, accurate diagnosis and personalized treatments, thus facilitating efficient and safe patient care. Advanced digital technologies reduce human error and improve communication between healthcare professionals. At the end of the day, the patient receives high quality medical services.
In addition to these aspects, digitization also ensures data security. Implementing robust cybersecurity solutions is critical to protecting patients’ personal and medical information from unauthorized access, identity theft, and cyberattacks.
“By ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive medical data, Romania reaffirms its commitment to create a safe digital environment for all actors in the health system”, added Rogobete, responsible for the implementation of the PNRR in health.
