Out of the approximately 300,000 patients with epilepsy in Romania, 100,000 prefer to buy their own treatment and not use the National Health Insurance House (CNAS) because they want to hide their symptoms from others.

“We have over 300,000 patients with epilepsy in Romania and we know for sure that 200,000 receive treatment reimbursed by the insurance house. We also know that there are around 100,000 patients who buy their treatment because they want to hide their epilepsy, mainly due to the society’s intolerance to this category of patients,” said doctor Ioana Mindruta, coordinator of the national subprogram for the treatment of pharmaco-resistant epilepsy, cited by local Mediafax.

She also said that there is very few information about the patients who hide their epilepsy, because most of them manage to keep it under control.

“Those who cannot control it, because the disease is resistant to treatment, have a huge problem in carrying on with their lives, in being treated just like everyone else. This percentage is around 30%,” Mindruta added.

The minister of health said that the national program for the treatment of epilepsy could receive more money after the budget rectification.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com