COVID: Romania's Healthcare system faces serious challenges amid pandemic

As the number of COVID-19 cases is increasing day by day in Romania, the health care system in the nation has been suffering significantly. As per a BBC report, the 2,000 intensive care beds in Romania are fully packed, forcing people to wait outdoors for treatment. The first 50 severely ill patients were sent to hospitals in Hungary and Poland. The chief of intensive care at Timisoara Hospital in western Romania, Dorel Sandesc stated that he sometimes feels that the entire nation has turned into a resuscitation centre.  

Romania is currently experiencing a surge in COVID cases that is significantly more lethal than anything it has seen previously. Citing Dr. Sandesc, vice-chairman of the Romanian Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, BBC reported, “It is a national failure on all levels. We are witnessing a kind of national blindness, caused by the lack of education, by the lack of civilisation.”  

Further, politicians are blaming Romanian citizens for the increase in virus cases as they are deliberately declining the opportunity to get inoculated, while just accepting false information about vaccination dangers. On the other hand, the people of Romania are criticising the weak leadership, insufficient healthcare, and, above everything, vanity and corruption. 

Romania's health system is now arranging "vaccination marathon"

The Vaccination rates cover a little over 29% of the overall population and 34% of the adult population, which makes the nation have the second-lowest vaccination rate among the European Union nations after Bulgaria. The nation will be conducting the "vaccination marathon" from this weekend in the capital Bucharest, with six vaccination facilities operating 24 hours a day to urge those who are hesitant to obtain the vaccination. Over 1,000 people received the vaccine in the first two hours on Friday. Masks will be required for indoor and outdoor buildings starting October 25, and those who have not been vaccinated will not be permitted outdoors post 8 pm. 

Meanwhile, amongst the Romanian population of 19.4 million, 15,000 persons have been testing positive per day on an average of seven days. On Tuesday, 574 individuals lost their lives due to the Coronavirus disease, while over the course of seven days, there was an average of 389 fatalities each day. During the last 14 days, 226 individuals per million have died with the average mortality rate in the European Union being 24 fatalities per million. While, according to the latest numbers provided by the Worldometer, the total number of confirmed cases in the nation is 15,34,942, whereas the total number of fatalities is 43,844. 

Image: AP