The quality of services offered by specialized ophthalmology clinics in Romania is comparable to that of Western Europe in terms of technology and treatment options, and in some cases even exceeds European standards in terms of detailed explanations and attention paid to each patient by doctors. At the same time, however, the prices of niche services in ophthalmology are significantly more affordable in our country, being almost half of the costs in Western Europe, according to data from Infosan, the only private pediatric ophthalmology hospital in Romania. 

"The Romanian medical system enjoys a high level of quality in terms of the ophthalmology niche. There are almost imperceptible differences between Romania and Western Europe, the latest technology being present in the main profile clinics in the country, and a normality for the players in the market. Moreover, in terms of ophthalmo pediatrics, we are in a privileged position, having top experts in Romania, whose level of expertise is rarely found in Western Europe. At the same time, doctors in the country give three times more time to patients during consultations, the average duration is 30 minutes, than those in Europe, where they allocate 10 minutes," said Rareș Ciubotaru (in opening picture), Executive Director of Infosan.

Infosan Hospital has constantly invested in medical equipment and state-of-the-art technologies, with the total value of the allocated budget being around 1 million euros. Thus, the company ensures that patients benefit from the best ophthalmological services.

At the same time, the hospital has the largest team of pediatric ophthalmologists in Romania, both in terms of number and experience, who have recognized expertise and skills and are as well trained as those in European countries.

To promote the exchange of expertise and the improvement of treatments, the Infosan Hospital has collaborative partnerships with the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Hospital, in Germany and The Antwerp University Hospital, in Antwerp, Belgium. Annually, experience exchanges are organized through which doctors from these institutions come to Romania, to Infosan for an experience exchange.

However, the ophthalmology system in Romania needs improvements, especially when it comes to prevention.

"There is still a gap compared to Western countries if we look at how the medical system works, the main difficulty being the lack of information for parents. Many times, although ophthalmological consultations for children are recommended even from the age of 1 year in the case of children considered healthy, they remain on the secondary plan, something that can affect the child's development and future. Unfortunately, they reach new cases that could be treated if they had been detected in time. If we look at the medical system in the West, all children go through mandatory ophthalmological screening, which greatly influences the rate of preventable blindness", added Rareș Ciubotaru.

Infosan Hospital has been actively involved in raising awareness and increasing the level of information of the population regarding eye health. Thus, the company organized free ophthalmological screenings in kindergartens and schools in Bucharest, to try to detect as many cases of children who might have a serious problem that could greatly affect their development and future. In addition, the hospital organizes free webinars for adults to bring clarity and valuable information about eye conditions.

According to Infosan, to maintain a high level of performance, doctors must have easy access to information and people with experience, to accelerate their learning process. Currently, doctors do not learn in residency how to treat children, the entire responsibility of educating future generations of doctors in ophthalmo pediatrics falls on experienced private doctors, who are very few and crowded with patients.

At the same time, medical professionals need support from clinics or hospitals to become more empathetic, more connected to the needs of patients, and more open to forming teams based on trust and mutual respect with the rest of the hospital staff.

Infosan Hospital remains committed to providing high-quality services to its patients and contributing to the continuous development of the ophthalmology field in Romania.

About Infosan

Infosan is currently the only private pediatric ophthalmology hospital in Romania. The company was founded in 2002 by two doctors in the form of a practice, in 2006 it became a clinic, and in 2015 it acquired the status of a hospital. Infosan has a team of 35 medical staff and a treatment capacity of 3000 outpatients per month and 300 patients per month in day hospitalization. It offers diagnostic, treatment, and care services for a wide range of ophthalmological conditions in children, such as the management of myopia, amblyopia, strabismus, congenital cataracts, retinopathy of prematurity, but also in adults – cataracts, strabismus, retinal diseases, glaucoma, etc. In the 22 years of activity, more than 75,000 unique patients have crossed the threshold. Infosan ended 2023 with a turnover of 4.5 million euros. The company aims to eliminate visual impairment and preventable blindness, so people can live a good life, be productive, and contribute to Romania's socio-economic growth.

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*This is a Press release.