Romania's converted hospitals to save budget EUR 42 million

Converting 67 hospitals to nursing homes for the elderly will save the state budget around EUR 42.7 million, but one of the goals of this move was curbing their inefficiency, according to Romanian Health Minister Attila Cseke. The minister gave the example of the former hospitals in Comanesti, Bacau county, which was located only 8 km away from the Moinesti hospital, "one of the best in Romania," and the one in Bacau. He also mentioned the Sulina hospital, Tulcea county, which only had internal medicine, pediatrics and recuperation departments. In 2011, the Health Ministry plans to invest EUR 40 million into oncology, as the wards in many hospitals are ill-equipped, said Cseke. The ministry also has an investment plan for intensive care. Romania shut down 67 local hospitals as of April 1 and the Health Ministry is reorganizing the units into nursing homes. Employees of the closed hospitals may continue to work in the nursing homes or may ask to be redistributed to other hospitals. Source: Mediafax