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Is immigration a solution to the doctors' exodus?

Daniela Tarnovschi, Foundation for an open society

22 June 2015


During the last years more and more discussions have been ongoing about the lack of qualified medical staff in state hospitals. People discuss, bring forward proposals for solutions but unfortunately things remain unchanged. Romania is currently on position 27 of the 28 countries as regards the number of physicians per one thousand inhabitants (2.5). Only Poland is behind us, with 2.2 physicians per one thousand inhabitants, while our neighbour Bulgaria is in the upper part of the ranking with a score of 3.7.

At the same time Romania educates quite a high number of medicine graduates (similarly calculated per thousand inhabitants), being in the upper part of the European Union ranking; between 2003 and 2005 it was even in top 5, together with much richer countries such as Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland and Malta. However it is well known that the number of physicians and medicine graduates who migrate to the west increases considerably every year.

Attempts have been made to stop the "haemorrhage" of qualified medical staff (by increasing the number of available places for residency), but without great success. According to statements of the College of Physicians, about 3,000 doctors enter the system annually and about 3,500 exit the system (through migration, retirement and decease). In 2012 the ministry of health at that time said he was thinking to propose "the import of doctors from China". However the representatives of state institutions have never looked at a segment of specialists who graduated the university and then performed the residency at their own cost - third country nationals.

According to the legislative framework (Law 95/2006 on the health reform, article 370), they cannot practice medicine in Romania unless they marry a citizen of Romania, the EU, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation, or they have direct ascendants or descendants or they hold a long term residence permit in Romania. There is an exception, but which applies only for 3 months (with the possibility of an extension for other 3 months). It is just that these medicine university and residency graduates in Romania can very well leave and practice medicine in some other European Union countries (France, Spain) who welcome them with open arms, with the diplomas awarded by the Romanian state being recognised without any problems.

Considering this situation and following some discussions with third country nationals as well as with non-governmental organisations involved in the social integration of migrants, we decided to initiate a petition to the Ministry of Health, as the competent institution for initiating a legislative amendment to allow these categories to stay and practice their profession in Romania. We collect signatures and we hope to submit it to the Ministry of Health soon.

The petition was sent to the Ministry of Health on 23.06.2015. The content of the petition is available at: http://www.cdcdi.ro/en/petition/petitie-in-atentia-ministerului-sanatatii.


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