SCHIMBARE DE GARDĂ. De ce revin medicii români acasă

Summary

The report examines why some Romanian doctors return after training or working abroad, despite nearly 1,000 young medical graduates leaving Romanian hospitals each year. Around 200 specialist doctors have returned in the past three years. Many left to gain advanced training and experience in better-organized systems; those who come back hope to bring modern techniques and a different approach to patient care.

Several returning doctors describe what they found abroad: reliable supplies and equipment, clear responsibilities, hands-on training for residents, and teams that share responsibility for patients. In Romania, they say, residents can be kept from taking responsibility, while rigid hierarchies and resistance to change can make it difficult to introduce new practices. Doctors returning to public hospitals may also have to navigate procurement and funding themselves, taking time away from clinical work.

The report follows doctors who have returned or are considering it:

• Mădălina Popescu and Octavian Popescu, trained in Germany, now perform modern cancer surgery in a Bucharest private hospital. They want Romanian patients to have access to treatments they received abroad. Mădălina says she struggled to find openness to change in the state system.
• Alexandru Achim, who trained in Austria and Switzerland, returned to Cluj. He says he needed access to the materials and technology required to work, as well as management that would not obstruct him. He is also training residents so they can learn complex procedures in Romania.
• Horațiu Coman, who returned from Germany to lead vascular surgery in Cluj, emphasizes building capable teams and teaching younger doctors. He contrasts Germany’s shared approach to responsibility with the uneven distribution of duties he sees at home.
• Cristian Mihalea and Adrian Popică, working in Paris, joined colleagues in Cluj for procedures. Their work illustrates how limited or less precise equipment and the high cost of devices can constrain treatment in Romania.
• Dan Mihoc returned from France to help establish an interventional neuroradiology center in Oradea. Its modern equipment and growing activity have encouraged younger doctors to stay, but the center still lacks enough specialists to provide round-the-clock coverage.
• Other doctors describe mixed experiences: some have returned to hospitals in Brașov, while an orthopedic couple who came back from the UK chose private practice after failing to establish a sustainable service in a state hospital.

The report also highlights practical ways to improve recruitment and coverage. Răzvan Radu, an interventional neurologist who returned from France, argues that hospitals need to help doctors understand funding and procurement. He proposes regional arrangements that let specialists work across multiple hospitals and questions rules that restrict doctors from combining public and private work.

The overall message is that equipment and hospital buildings have improved in some places, but recruiting, retaining, and developing medical staff is the more difficult challenge. Returning doctors can improve care and mentor the next generation, but they need functioning teams, reliable resources, and genuine institutional support. Without those conditions, some may leave again.

Presenters and contributors

Presenter: Cristian Leonte is identified in the programme metadata as the show’s host. The report’s journalist or narrator is not named in the subtitles.

Named contributors in the subtitles: Mădălina Popescu, Octavian Popescu, Alexandru Achim, Horațiu Coman, Cristian Mihalea, Adrian Popică, Dan Duma, Dan Mihoc, Mihai Gherman, Gheorghe Carp, Cristina Graur Sîrbu, Șerban Costa, Ciprian Mihalcu, Cristian Stănescu, Anca Negrilă, Răzvan Radu, Professor Engel, and the Bica couple.