The doctors from the SANITAS Federation contest the idea of mandatory work after graduating from medical studies, emphasizing the constitutional right to choose the workplace.

The SANITAS Federation declared on Wednesday its disagreement with any attempt to turn state-funded medical education into a work obligation for graduates. Doctors acknowledge the shortage of medical personnel and the state's investments in their training, but emphasize that the freedom to choose a workplace is guaranteed by the Constitution. They reject the idea of retaining doctors in the system through coercion, arguing that the exodus of medical staff is caused by overwork and poor working conditions, not by a lack of professional responsibility.

SANITAS calls on the authorities to abandon coercive approaches and to initiate a social dialogue to find sustainable solutions for stabilizing the Romanian medical system. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan suggested that doctors could be required to work in Romania for a period after graduation, which generated negative reactions from doctors.