Romania healthcare faces corruption reports and long waiting times

Patients in Romania continue to report instances of bribery within the public healthcare system, according to data from the Patient Feedback Mechanism administered by the Ministry of Health. For September 2026, Teleorman county recorded the highest rate of reported requests for money at 13.7%. In Botoșani county, the Dorohoi Municipal Hospital reported a 6.9% bribery rate, while the Mavromati County Hospital reported 4.6%.

Beyond corruption concerns, the healthcare system struggles with significant delays for medical investigations. Patients seeking laboratory tests, CT scans, or MRI scans face waiting periods ranging from a few days to several months. Funding shortages often cause clinic budgets for these services to be exhausted within the first ten days of the month. While oncology patients with specific referral types maintain priority access, other patients frequently face long delays or are forced to seek private services.