A newly completed pediatric cancer hospital in Bucharest (Romania) relies entirely on community funding. The hospital has opened a new door of hope for children with cancer in this country.
The project was initiated by Give Life, a member organization of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), with contributions from more than 350,000 individuals and nearly 8,000 companies. This is the first hospital in Romania to be built entirely with donations.
The 140-bed hospital includes oncology, hematology, surgery, intensive care and neurosurgery departments. It also has playrooms, a cinema, a recording studio and even a rooftop observatory. The hospital aims to provide comprehensive care, multidisciplinary treatment and a supportive environment for children and their families. Features such as a parent’s bed, a dedicated children’s space and a fully digitalised medical unit represent a quantum leap in healthcare standards in Romania.
As soon as the hospital opened, plans were immediately put into place to build a second pediatric building, creating a comprehensive medical campus. This ongoing effort continues to rely on the contributions and support of donors and the Romanian community. More than just building a hospital, Give Life wants to change the way health care is delivered and how cancer and other serious illnesses are treated in Romanian children.
Give Life embarked on this ambitious project two years ago, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the work faced many challenges. The association had to raise funds to build the hospital, while also mobilizing resources to support frontline health workers during the pandemic, as well as distributing protective and medical equipment across the country. Meanwhile, Romania’s health system was not in the best of shape, with a lack of resources and crumbling infrastructure.
Since 2015, Romania has had several health ministers in the country due to prolonged political instability, which has severely affected the state health system. The latest figures from Eurostat show that Romania has the lowest per capita health spending in the European Union (EU). Romania's health care system has faced various difficulties for many years, from insufficient funding to a lack of staff as many doctors, nurses and assistants have emigrated to other EU member states. Clinics and emergency rooms are full, while there is a shortage of care workers. To ensure balance, Romania's health sector currently needs more than 30,000 new staff. Therefore, community efforts such as the newly built children's cancer hospital project are a ray of hope.
Give Life is currently raising funds for a new building to expand its facilities and improve the quality of treatment. The organization aims to transform the facility into a modern medical complex and improve the survival rate of children with cancer in Romania, which currently stands at 70%, closer to the EU average of 81%.
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Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tia-sang-hy-vong-o-bucharest-post739320.html
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