Iohannis: Concrete measures needed fast to solve chronic problems in Romanian healthcare system

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday decorated several medical institutions and physicians from Bucharest and in the country, stressing the need for fast, concrete measures to solve the chronic problems of the Romanian healthcare system.

"When we talk about the future, we talk about young doctors, who have the duty to carry further the names of their predecessors and the reputation of the hospitals in which they have been trained, as well as about the projects and objectives we have assumed externally. The future means universal access to the medical act and a new concept based on prevention, personalized medicine, innovation and sustainability. To achieve these goals, concrete measures are urgently needed to solve the chronic problems of the Romanian healthcare system," the head of state said at the ceremony decoration.

He underscored that for Romanians, 2018 is a moment of great importance, in which "we celebrate the past and we speak about the future, about the vision, about how Romania will look in 100 years from now."

In this context, Iohannis specified that the Centenary of the Great Union is the most appropriate opportunity to grant the 'Sanitary Merit' Order to the hospitals marking a significant number of years since their establishment, years in which they stood out through the results obtained in the improvement of the medical act, saying he was glad that this recognition took place during the period marking the World Health Day.

"When we evoke the past, we think of exceptional doctors who made our country's name known abroad, promoters of medical specialties such as urology or plastic and reconstructive surgery, hospitals bearing their name in recognition of the profound consideration and acknowledgment of their merits. We also refer to hospitals that, despite the difficulties faced by the healthcare system in Romania, succeeded in decades of existence and continue to succeed through the dedication and effort of their medical staff and management teams in offering quality services to all Romanians," President Iohannis added.

He emphasized that good practice models must be recognized and capitalized on.

"With exceptional physicians, with management teams animated by determination and abnegation, such as those you are part of, we will have hospitals we can saenter with trust. You are examples of professionalism, responsibility, dedication, and continuous effort in the service of a noble cause - to take care of our health. I have the certainty you will contribute to that change in the Romanian medical system that we all want," President Iohannis told the doctors attending the ceremony.