Radio România Internațional

Tag: illness

  • Respiratory diseases on a downward trend in Romania

    Respiratory diseases on a downward trend in Romania

    After two atypical flu seasons,
    due to restrictions imposed during the pandemic, Romania has this year seen an
    aggressive flu season when a few severe respiratory diseases have been reported
    mainly among children and vulnerable people.


    The peak of the flu
    season was reached in the first part of this month and according to the
    National Institute of Public Health (INSP) the number of respiratory diseases
    is presently on a downward trend. 103 thousand infections were reported last
    week, which means only a quarter than in the previous one.


    As compared to the
    weekly average of illnesses registered between 2015 – 2020, the number is still
    high, 21% higher. According to the INSP, out of the total number of infections,
    roughly five thousand were flu cases, most of them in Bucharest, Iasi, in
    eastern Romania, Cluj, in the north-west and Timis in the west of the country.


    Statistics data show
    that since the beginning of the season, 36 people have lost their lives and
    roughly 1.5 million have got the anti-flu vaccine. Doctors say though the number
    is not enough and in order to be able to control an epidemic, 3.5 million
    vulnerable people should have got the jab. In order to support the population,
    authorities pledge that next year they will subsidize both the anti-flu vaccines
    and those lasting a lifetime mainly for people suffering from chronic diseases.






    During a conference in
    Bucharest, Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila, has voiced hope that he will see
    a different approach in terms of anti-flu vaccination next year, which may lead
    to the protection of a larger number of people. Until then, he says, the
    anti-flu vaccines, the Health Ministry purchased for this season, have been
    almost entirely used


    Alexandru Rafila: Pharmacies still
    have stocks of anti-flu vaccines. Of course this very much depends on the
    producers and suppliers. We have practically used up the entire quantity
    purchased by the Health Ministry. There are still small stocks at some family
    physicians but, practically the almost 1.5 million doses have been used.
    Vaccines are still available but not for a long time, you know, two or three
    more weeks. We will probably see a downward trend and get over this flu season,
    which, as compared to the previous years, kicked off much earlier this year.


    In turn, the president
    of the Health Commission with the Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest, Nelu
    Tătaru, believes vaccine subsidies aren’t enough and the population must accept
    the prevention method.


    Nelu Tătaru: When it comes to
    vaccination I believe that subsidizing it is only a component. To convince
    people to accept the vaccination is the most important thing and I believe here
    the Ministry of Health and the physicians have a pretty difficult task: to
    kickstart the process of convincing the people about the role vaccination has.


    At the same time, authorities
    believe that more emphasis should be laid on the development of pre-hospital
    medical care as people’s access to medical services should be eased.


    (bill)

  • A National Anti-cancer Plan

    A National Anti-cancer Plan

    According to centralized
    data, cancer remains a major health issue at world level being among the main causes
    of premature deaths in people with ages between 30 and 69 in 134 countries,
    Romania included. However, authorities in this country have decided to do more
    for the prevention and treatment of this dreadful disease. An outcome of the
    cooperation between healthcare authorities, physicians – including in the
    private field – and patient associations, the National Plan for the Prevention
    and Combating Cancer is an initiative the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis kicked
    off eleven months ago.




    After passing through all
    the necessary stages, the law endorsing this plan, which is being implemented
    for the period between 2023 and 2030 has been promulgated by president Klaus
    Iohannis.




    Klaus Iohannis: We have the obligation to take action now on behalf
    of those who lost the battle with the illness and those who have been diagnosed
    with this terrible disease. There is remarkable medical progress,
    state-of-the-art technologies, which can turn cancer into a treatable disease.
    And the Romanians have a right to these present day innovations.




    Under the law, all the
    Romanian citizens, residing in Romania, citizens of the EU member countries as
    well as the foreigners and stateless individuals living or residing in Romania
    have a state-guaranteed right to medical and social services comprised by the
    National Plan for Preventing and Combating Cancer. These services include the
    prevention, investigation and treatment of cancer, access to care services,
    including palliative care, psycho-oncology and social services as well as to food
    subsidies.




    Romania is actually
    lining up to the European standards in the field. The move was all the more so
    necessary because statistical figures for Romania were quite alarming, as physician
    Dana Paun, presidential healthcare advisor told Radio Romania.




    Dana Paun: Cancer represents a major
    healthcare issue after cardiovascular diseases and for this reason we needed
    this plan, which comprises very clear objectives. For instance, national
    screening programmes have become operational. We have so far benefitted for
    funding from the Healthcare Ministry only for the uterine cancer, but they want
    to implement screening programmes for other types of cancer. At the same time
    there are plans for a national cancer registry for all the types of cancer
    affecting the Romanians. An inter-disciplinary approach is also under
    discussion as one patient cannot be treated by only one physician. You need a
    team of doctors to study the case and prescribe the treatment, surgery,
    radio-therapy, chemotherapy, so that the patient may benefit from the right
    treatment.




    And since a series of expensive
    innovative therapies have emerged
    and the National Insurance House is unable to cover these new types of
    treatment, there are plans for a healthcare innovation fund to provide the Romanian
    patients access to them.


    (bill)