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)
