Romania has spent some EUR 3.5 billion in training doctors who are now working in other European countries, but hasn't received anything back from the countries which solved the healthcare problems by hiring Romanian doctors, said Vasile Astărăstoae, the president of the Romanian Doctors Board, quoted by Mediafax.

He reminded that as many as 21,000 Romanian doctors, all trained in their home country, have been working abroad since 1990. The majority of these – 14,000 - left after Romania entered the EU, in 2007. Romanian doctors, some 4,300, make 60 percent of the number of foreign doctors in France. UK hosts 4,000 Romanian doctors, who create the second largest group, after Indian doctors. Belgium has 2,600 Romanian doctors, and Germany, 3,100 Romanian doctors.

Even on the short term, Romania stands to suffer, as with an aging population, and an inversion in the age pyramid, the number of chronic illnesses will exceed the number of acute diseases. Further brain drain is expected: an evaluation show that in economically developed countries, around half of the doctors' positions will be vacant.

Only a small part will be covered by their own medical graduates, so these countries will recruit from Romania, which is an EU member and where it is relatively easy to hire doctors. Romania currently has 14,100 doctors, down from 21,400 in 2011.

editor@romania-insider.com