Challenges in the Romanian Healthcare System in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected the global economy and the countries across the world at a scale that was impossible to anticipate when the first cases of infected people occurred. Economic globalization and people’s freedom of movement have caused the fast spread of the virus, which impacted all the European Union’s Member States in a more or less severe way. Pressure was soon exerted on the capacity of the national healthcare systems to cope with an alarmingly fast increase in the number of infections as well as on the authorities, which were called to decide on the best ways to counter the spread of the virus. The analysis conducted in this study reveals the general picture of all the specific branches of the medical field, both at national level and comparatively, versus other member states. Far from being an exhaustive analysis, the study comprises enough elements and parameters to outline a realistic and recent picture of the Romanian healthcare services in the context of the new challenges entailed by COVID-19. Thus, we introduce the main features of the medical sector from the perspective of several coordinates, which are then placed in the context of the current pandemic. Based on this canvas, we propose a set of feasible short, medium and long-term actions, meant to significantly improve not only the systemic responsiveness and readiness but also the efficient performance of economic and social activities in our country under the circumstances of a pandemic.