Romanian hospitals grapple with obstetrics staffing shortage and emergency department overcrowding

The County Hospital in Deva has been unable to maintain a full on‑call roster for its obstetrics‑gynaecology department for almost eight months. Only two to four of the required six doctors are available, so emergency cases are redirected to the municipal hospital in Hunedoara. Councilor Viorel Adelin Rotariu questioned why the on‑call schedule is not published, and manager Emil Mariș Stoica cited a legislative gap that limits doctors to a single on‑call shift per month. Discussions are under way with hospitals in Timișoara and the Health Ministry about creating a regional consortium to address the shortage.

At the Constanţa County Clinical Emergency Hospital, the Emergency Reception Unit recorded nearly 900 patient arrivals in a 36‑hour period, far above the usual 450‑500 daily visits. More than 85 % of those patients were classified as non‑critical (green, blue, white), resulting in long waiting times. Hospital officials urged citizens to seek care from family doctors or specialist ambulatory clinics for non‑urgent conditions and emphasized that triage follows the national protocol.