PM Dancila: We will answer with correct solutions to healthcare staff pay problems

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said on Monday at a meeting with hospital managers that the government will answer with correct solutions to healthcare staff pay problems.

Dancila, Minister of Health Sorina Pintea, Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu and Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici discussed with hospital managers regarding the wages in the public healthcare system and ways to apply pay bonuses.

"We wanted to have this discussion because the healthcare sector is a priority with me, as prime minister, with the government I lead. For this reason, healthcare, alongside education, has received yet another pay increase. You have my entire openness because I want to see directly what problems you are facing. We will analyse everything you report so that we come up with concrete and correct solutions that will answer the situations you face," said Dancila.

The managers who talked at the meeting felt that the new legislation on pay in the public healthcare system has led to substantial wage increases, especially for doctors.

"However, they also noted that there were also occasional cases where the income of employees in the system in March 2018 fell in relation to the income earned in February 2018. There were also some differences in the income of doctors, as a result of the application of the regulation of bonuses, according to the main employers of the hospitals - the Ministry of Health, county councils or the local councils."

As a result of consultations with the approximately 350 hospital managers, Dancila established a working group consisting of representatives of the government and managers of some hospitals subordinated to the Ministry of Health, local and county councils, as well as of single specialty hospitals. The working group will analyse the problems mentioned by the managers and propose solutions for the response.