The ministry wants to create programs to support these hospitals and improve the services they provide, as well as increase the number of interventional therapy units, Arafat said at the conference Mediafax Talks about Health Reform.
According to the minister, Romania must increase allocations for the healthcare sector, which is underfinanced, while closely controlling expenses, both concerning public procurement and medicine use.
Moreover, the reorganization of the system will offer medium- and long-term solutions for the healthcare sector. “Many things may be solved through better reorganization, while issues concerning human resources need a different approach,” he added.
Referring to the ministry’s budget for 2013, Arafat said there are several propositions the ministry is analyzing, one of them concerning healthcare programs. According to Arafat, preventive care and strategic programs might be financed with funds from the ministry’s budget, while the National Health Insurance House might take over curative care programs. Ambulance and emergency medical services will be in the ministry’s portfolio, he added.
Speaking at the conference, Theodor Alexandrescu, CEO of insurer Alico Asigurari, said the health insurance monopoly held by the National Health Insurance House is one of the major problems the Romanian healthcare system is facing. He added that this problem might be eliminated through structural reform of the financial system and money inflows from voluntary health insurance.