Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said Wednesday night, referring to a protest called by trade unionists at CNAS, that he hoped the facility’s management as well as workers would show wisdom. , as interruption of medical services cannot be accepted, reports News.ro.

Rafila in the parliament Photo: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea

The Minister states that although CNAS has the largest budget in Romania, there is a problem of contributions, as 5 million people contribute to the Insurance Fund, but 19 million people use health services.

On TVR Info on Wednesday night, Alexander Rafila was asked about the protest by trade unionists from CNAS, and he said: “I hope that it will be a protest in which, above all, there will be negotiations. CNAS President Dr. Bachiu believes that he must take steps to listen to the grievances of those protesting. Dialogue is needed to solve the problem.”

The minister noted that CNAS “is a key institution” because it calculates medicines in pharmacies and finances hospitals.

“I hope that both sides will find the wisdom (…) to find a solution because the termination of services to the insured, to the patients, is something that I don’t think we can accept in any way,” Rafila said.

Referring to the CNAS budget, Rafila stated that it is “the biggest budget in Romania, several times bigger than the MS budget, but it is normal to be like that”. The institution pays for national health care programs, hospital services, and free and reimbursed drugs.

“We must be very clear that contributions to the Health Insurance Fund are also a problem, because in Romania about 5 million people contribute and about 19 million use health services,” the Minister of Health also stated.

According to Rafila, “fiscal measures taken by the government try to partially solve this problem”, some categories of workers who were exempted from paying health insurance are now obliged to pay.

“You cannot exempt the categories (…) I think it is a correct, balanced and ethical decision, in the end, which will improve the financing of the healthcare system in Romania,” Alexandru Rafila also stated.

Employees of NSZU will go on indefinite protest from Thursday, dissatisfied with the fact that they have not received a salary increase since 2018, the trade unions said.

After this decision, PR activity will be seriously disrupted.