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[lisa_thecat]

Horrifying story in the news here. In a Bucharest hospital an air conditioning machine exploded and in the fire 4 infants died and 6 suffered massive burns (75% of the body). Beyond horrifying. Initially they couldn't identify the newly-borns because the plastic ID bracelets they wore melted in the fire. How can such a horror happen? Especially in

Comments

[lab_jazz]

That's terrible Mira...
I remeber you telling me how terrible the treatment was that your mother got when she had to go to hospital...that she had to share a bed.

[lisa_thecat]

It's not a medical fault, they say. But how do those parents feel after they had a healthy baby and left them in their care only to learn this...

The whole system is rotten.

[caecus_parvulus]

That is absolutely horrible to read about. I can't even imagine the poor parents, or even the pain the injured infants are in.

It's interesting to hear healthcare stories from abroad-- seeing as we have none of it here. What would the bribe system be describing?

[lisa_thecat]

In Romania most of people pay health insurance. If you work somewhere, if you own a property that you get rent from, if you have any activity that produces money the law forces you to pay a 5,5% (and your employer another 5%) for health insurance. For that you should get emergency medical treatment, reduced prices for medication, basic healthcare. In reality you pay for anything. You are admitted for free in a hospital but they don't have medication for you, you have to buy it yourself from farmacies in town, they don't have bandages - they pretty much don't have anything. Also, in order to get the attention of medical personnel, you have to pay them - just hand them cash or buy them presents. When you need some surgery, it should also be free - in theory you get on a list and it's done at some point. In reality there are some unofficial prices set in order to get things done - money for the surgeon, money for the anesthesist, for the nurses taking care of you after. The money is not declared anywhere - it's just pocketed without any

[lisa_thecat]

Indeed, it was no news. I actually checked. In the international news the only info on Romania now is the diplomatic scandal with the Romanian spy caught by the Russians and the subsequent "discovery" of a Russian spy in Romania. Like Basescu is playing at the same level with Putin.