Romania is in a complicated budgetary context and a balanced approach is needed from the authorities to ensure maintaining within the assumed deficit, but healthcare must remain a priority sector, according to the Council of Foreign Investors (FIC)'s representatives.
The sustainability of the healthcare sector is important not only for improving the care of citizens, but also for supporting a solid business milieu and sustainable economic growth, mentions a press release from the FIC, sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday.
"Following the long-term trend of Romania's GDP according to the National Strategy and Forecasting Commission, the average growth rate has almost halved compared to the period 2000-2008. This decrease occurred mainly through the reduction in the contribution of the labor factor, which could end up including zero or negative contribution to the GDP-potential growth in the future (...). This decrease is not only caused by migration and the aging of the population, but also by factors related to the health of the population and the reduction of the number of hours worked as a result of various ailments", the document reads.
According to the quoted source, the investment in healthcare and the increase in allocations to the healthcare sector can reverse the tendency to reduce the contribution of human capital, especially in prevention, reducing the indirect costs of diseases (lost productivity), including additional tax revenues. "Estimates show that only in the case of cancer, the loss of GDP is estimated at approximately 3% of GDP per year, and approximately 1% of GDP loss of tax revenues", the FIC informs.
The Council of Foreign Investors published in May a document outlining a series of measures to ensure the sustainability and innovation of the medical system with an emphasis on adequate financing.
In July, together with the Ministry of Health, the FIC organized a roundtable meeting entitled "Investments in healthcare are investments in Romania's future. Financing and development of the medical system". According to FIC, the main message of this conference was: human capital and healthcare must become a national priority.
"All 40+ speakers from different segments of the medical system presented their point of view on the medical system and also on the measures taken by the institutions or organizations they represent. One single message was constant and indispensable in the intervention to everyone, regardless of whether it was authorities, investors, healthcare experts, representatives of patient organizations or doctors, hospital managers and non-profit organizations - human capital and healthcare must become a national priority. The FIC appreciates the measures adopted by the Ministry Health for the stimulation of investments in healthcare from European and private funds and at the same time, the increase of the amounts allocated for investments and expenses in the country by the Ministry of Finance", the press release states.
The FIC members will continue to work together with the two ministries to jointly identify the appropriate financing, through all available financing mechanisms, both from their own sources, but also through allocations from European funds and through public-private partnerships, the release states.
"Our common goal is to ensure the necessary prevention, medical care, access to medicines and the latest technologies in order to reverse the data that today places Romania in the lower positions in the EU rankings", reveals the quoted source.
The Council of Foreign Investors (FIC) is the association that brings together the most important investors with foreign capital in Romania, approximately 110 of the largest companies in the country with a cumulative turnover that represents approximately one fifth of the gross domestic product and that have a significant contribution to the state budget. In the more than 25 years since the establishment of the organization, FIC member companies have always supported the importance of dialogue between the business community and the authorities.
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