The Alliance of Chronic Patients of Romania (APCR) states that the current political crisis "deepens" the situation in healthcare and the chronic patient of Romania remains without treatment, and those most affected are cancer patients and HIV/AIDS patients.
"The healthcare crisis generated by the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the issues that chronic patients in Romania were facing in what regards access to therapies. As if that wasn't enough, the current political crisis deepens the situations, digging the pit the healthcare system is in deeper, starving it from necessary funding, and with it the chronic patient, left without treatment. Among those most affected by the current situation are patients with cancer and patients with HIV/AIDS; for the latter, the fear of not receiving vital treatment is a constant each month. Doctors are making desperate efforts to calculate medication by the envelope, by the pill, in order for each patient to get it. This practice infringes all norms relating to pharmaco-vigilance, medicine safety and the safety of patients, endangering their health," shows an open letter penned by APCR and sent to all political parties, the Health Ministry, the National Health Insurance House (CNAS) and the Government.
According to the source, "the lack of funds" for these national health programs is signalled by all the regional infectious disease centers in Romania.
"1 in 4 Romanian patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS does not currently follow a treatment specific to their disease, and if the authorities do not take measures now, this number will increase considerably. Interrupting antiretroviral treatment determines an increase in the risk of death, as well as the risk of spreading HIV infection. Once more, the political factor is endangering the lives of chronic patients in danger. (...) And at this moment, the regulation regarding the HomeDelivery activity (distribution of medication to the home of the chronic patient) is delayed," the letter also shows.
APCR claims that the interruption of treatment for even 1-2 days for HIV/AIDS patients can alter the entire therapeutic scheme (multi-drug schemes).
"This leads to an aggravation of health status, exhausting all scheme variants due to the generation of viral resistance to therapy, and if these patients are to be committed, medical assistance is nearly impossible, given the fact that infectious disease hospitals are once more full with COVID-19 patients. In the case of patients with cancer, the lack of medication is directly a death sentence, because cancer is an emergency, and most types of cancer have a galloping evolution," say the APCR representatives.
At the same time, they appeal to the politicians in the Government to resolve the current situation and state that they will inform the European Parliament as well.
Acting Health Minister Cseke Attila said on Thursday that the funds allocated to the Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance House for the budget amendment are enough to cover the "day-to-day" expenses in the health system, "including" treatment for HIV-AIDS patients, for those with tuberculosis, but also for the payment of staff in vaccination centers, Agerpres informs.