HealthBridge Global Blog

See the very short article below.
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“In today’s press, Cotidianul reads that 10 Romanians are hospitalized daily in Vienna, as they flee the poor conditions in Romania. AKH hospital in Vienna is the third biggest hospital in the world and renowned. Costs for those hospitalize start from about 900 euro/ day excluding treatments, surgery and post surgery treatment. An operation can cost up to tens of thousands of euro but all Romanians quoted in the article declare they are satisfied with the humane conditions in Vienna where doctors treat patients with respect, care and empathy unlike their previous experiences with Romanian doctors.”

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A few important notes. Those who tend to flee the country for medical help generally fall in 3 categories: 1) the ultra wealthy, 2) those with very special cases that no doctor in Romania will operate on, and 3) those who are very poor and seeking pity from foreign doctors.  Cases 2 and 3 are often linked.  Cases 1 and 2 are often linked.

Having said that, it is not uncommon for those who are fed up with the treatment they receive in the government hospitals, and who cannot find the services they need on the private market, to go West for better care.  Hungary, Austria, and Germany have all become destinations for people seeking medical treatment that is unavailable in Romania.  Sometimes they go there just because they are seeking someone who will treat them with respect, and charge a known price up front for their services.

For me, this article just confirms what we already know, and have heard 1 million times. There is a need for non-governmental maternity care offered from a perspective of human dignity and compassion.