Employers: Doctors' loyalty is achieved through stability, not constraints

The Federation of Employers of Medical Entrepreneurs (FEPAM) claims that retaining doctors in Romania cannot be achieved through mandatory administrative measures, but by creating a functional and predictable professional framework that allows them to build a long-term career. The organization's reaction comes after statements by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, who stated that graduates of state-funded medical schools should stay to work in the country for at least a few years after completing their studies. In a statement, FEPAM draws attention to the fact that the major problem of the Romanian healthcare system is not the lack of graduates, but the difficulty of keeping them in the profession and in areas where there is the greatest need for medical personnel.

• "The decision to leave occurs precisely when doctors become valuable”

According to the employers' organization, doctors become truly useful to the system after years of practice and professional integration, but it is precisely at that moment that the decision to leave abroad frequently appears. FEPAM representatives emphasize that this phenomenon does not reflect a lack of attachment to Romania, but the real difficulties of practicing the profession in stable and safe conditions. In their opinion, forcing doctors to stay for a certain period would only have a temporary statistical effect, without generating long-term stability. The health system needs, say entrepreneurs in the field, continuity and stable teams, made up of professionals who choose to stay voluntarily.

• Real obstacles: limited positions, unpredictable funding

FEPAM indicates several structural problems that determine the departure of doctors after completing residency: limited access to functional positions and offices; unpredictable funding of medical services; difficulties in making investments in infrastructure; insufficient legal protection in practicing the profession. In these conditions, doctors choose to leave where they can work safely, with adequate equipment and clear professional prospects.

• Measures proposed to stop the medical exodus

The employers' federation believes that solutions must be structural and long-term. Among the proposed measures are: support programs for opening offices by young doctors; housing and professional integration facilities in disadvantaged areas; stable and predictable contracts with the insurance system; development of public-private partnerships in health; strengthening the legal protection of doctors. The organization emphasizes that real loyalty can only be achieved by creating an attractive and stable professional environment. FEPAM states that it is willing to collaborate with the authorities to identify sustainable solutions that ensure both the social responsibility of the medical profession and the long-term stability of the medical services offered to patients.