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From Our Own Correspondent: Healing Romania's Hospitals

Caroline Juler examines how a British-Romanian exchange project has improved care and changed attitudes in one hospital in Zalau

The Romanian healthcare system isn't much reported - except as a source of horror stories. Abroad, the rest of the world has been appalled by images of near-derelict care institutions for children and the disabled, while within Romania itself, the media circulate dire tales of corruption and incompetence. Yet Caroline Juler explores one provincial hospital which has become a byword for constant improvement. A long-term project exchanging staff and expertise between Britain and the Zalau facility has helped to reform attitudes and improve care. Patients and nurses seem delighted by the changes - but what do the doctors make of it if they're no longer "treated like gods"?

Photo: Women wear surgical masks reading 'Corruption kills' in Romanian during a protest in Bucharest on May 6, 2016 following an expose of corruption in the Romanian health system. There have been accusations of a scam where the state purchased inadequate disinfectants with public funds. (DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty Images)

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6 minutes

Last on

Thu 8 Sep 2016 15:23GMT

Broadcast

  • Thu 8 Sep 2016 15:23GMT