The INML director reports debts of 5.5 million lei and a lack of funds for equipment and staff

The National Institute of Legal Medicine is facing financial problems, outdated equipment and staff shortages, the institution’s director, forensic doctor Sorin Hoștiuc, said in an interview with Cotidianul. The most serious situation concerns unpaid debts owed by beneficiaries of forensic medical services, particularly the Romanian Police.

According to Hoștiuc, in September the Police owed the INML more than 5.5 million lei in outstanding payments. Some of the debts are more than three years old and are also affecting other forensic medicine institutions. In Iași, the lack of payments led, in the previous month, to the inability to pay salaries in full.

The INML does not receive direct state budget funding for all its activities, with a significant share of its revenue coming from fees for services and expert assessments requested by judicial authorities. Due to the insufficient budget, investments in equipment and reagents are being postponed.

The institute’s director warned that the equipment is failing to keep pace with the rapid emergence of new psychoactive substances. Identifying them requires high-performance equipment and samples provided by the Police.

The INML is also facing a staff shortage. More than 20 positions are vacant, and at least ten employees are due to retire over the next year. Hoștiuc says that almost every month, one or two experts leave the institution because of the salaries.