National health evaluation programme: pros and cons

The Health Ministry spent 171 million euros on the free medical investigation programme between July 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008, but now the new minister says the money was wasted. Given that the former minister was also advised by doctors, who is right?

According to the former Health minister, Eugen Nicolaescu, the purpose of this programme was to make people go to the doctor and spot possible illnesses in due time.

“From my point of view, the programme was not due to be statistical, but something to make people go to the doctor. It was a preventive programme. (…),” said Nicolaescu.

In his opinion, the main achievement of the programme is that family doctors have now in their databases the diseases or illness risks of the population.

The Family Medicine Commission part of the Health Ministry, which advised Nicolaescu, now has a different structure. Matei Dumitru, the current Commission chairman says the programme was not perfect, but it had its upsides.

The Commission is now being consulted about other specialised assessment programmes the ministry is set to embark upon.

How is it possible in these conditions for the programme to be criticised by the same ministry, through some doctors who are contradicting other doctors?

According to the ministry, administrative expenses related to the programme revolved around 20m euros, while the acquisition of laptops for family doctors for this programme cost around 10m euros.

The lack of conclusive results at the moment the programme ended is set to create problems when the minimum package of medical services is decided, but at the same time there are no clear references as to the right level of compensation for medicines, according to analysts interviewed by ZF.

Foreign analysts have not heard of such a programme, but they believe it is beneficial.