Roma denied access to hospitals in Romania
07 December 1999
The Romanian daily Ziua reported on September 7, 1999, that the local office of the Fund for Social Security and Health (Casei de Asigurari Sociale de Sanatate) in Iaşi, northeastern Romania, had banned from the Iaşi County Hospital Roma who cannot afford to pay for their medical treatment and who cannot prove that they have medical insurance provided by the state. The Romanian state provides medical care for all citizens who are employed and pay the social security benefits, and those who are officially registered with the state as unemployed. According to Ziua, the Fund decided on the measure because many Roma allegedly did not pay any money to the Fund as they were not registered with the government. The hospitals claimed that they are receiving an increasing number of Romani patients, and the hospitals themselves could not cover these expenses any longer. Mr Adrian Butucă, president of the Fund, reportedly stated that the simplest way to avoid providing treatment to Romani patients was by requesting hospital security guards not to let Roma into the hospital.
The Tîrgu Mureş-based non-governmental organisation Liga Pro Europa sent a letter of concern to the Romanian Department for the Protection of National Minorities on September 29, protesting this discriminatory act. In response, the Department opened investigation on October 7, and requested the Ministry of Health to do the same. On October 13, the Ministry of Health asked the Fund for Social Security and Health and the Public Health Department of Iaşi to provide an explanation. As of November 29, they had not done so. Local sources in Iaşi informed the ERRC on October 17 that there were some Romani patients in some of the hospitals. It is not known what they were admitted for and if they could pay for the treatment or not. As of November 29, the ban on Roma had not been withdrawn, and Liga Pro Europa had received no information on the results of the investigation of this case.
(ERRC, Liga Pro Europa, Ziua)
