INTERVIEW

Patients’ voices

Romania’s government anti-crisis solutions are: cut all salaries by 25%, minimize  pensions by 15%, reduce unemployment help by 15% and discharge a large number of public sector staff (including health professionals). If these measures will be applied, thousands of people will be condemned to extreme poverty and, of course, a poor health state.

„ Of course, I bought the medicine myself. Look here, on the table, near me.Here they are. Look for yourself, it hurts me if I turn around”,groans a 60-old years woman, crouched in her bed. She has two perfusion tubes on the left part of her body. She can’t use her right side either, as she has spinal column pains. She rises a bit and says: „ I have water in the lungs. I am retired now. My pension is only 155 euro per month. If they apply the new laws I’ll have less, they are taking 15% of my income”.

She wants to stretch back, but the pain stops her and she rises again, sighing.“I have spent 16 euros on these antibiotics, and 18 euros for those pills. We can’t live on our pensions and I have to buy four medicaments.”she says, tears coming down her face.“My daughter helped me a lot, but she also has a very small wage. I really don’t know what to do.I don’t know when, if I’ll ever be I’ll be out from the hospital!” she moans.

 “I am retired too, retired on medical grounds. I have paid 28 euros on lungs antibiotics. My children helped me, otherwise I couldn’t have afforded it…”tells me a middle-aged man sitting on his bed edge. He shows me the small bottles with medicaments, near his bed.“I’d say to our rulers to mind their own business! They should not cut our wages and pensions, we are already too poor! He stops to think.”At least they should cut only the “big” pensions, over 235 euros!” he sighs with resignation.

 “I have worked as a paramedic, on the ambulance. I have lots of stories to tell you, but I can’t talk right now”, says a man lying on his bed, with tourniquet around his neck.  He rises up his head and makes and effort to speak on:” Everybody has to buy its medication. We had a cancer patient woman in this room and she also had to pay for her pills. It’s like this.” He pauses again. “Let’s say these rulers left; but are there any honest politicians in this country to replace them?!” he asks instead of an answer.

Luciana Grosu