The number of practising physicians increased in Romania from 264.36 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2013 to 364.79 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2022. The number of nurses also increased from 51.39 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2013 to 93.54 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2022. This may be explained by reduced emigration following significant salary increases in 2017 and mass hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the increase, workforce shortages persist, particularly among physicians in certain specialties and in some geographical regions.
With the financial support of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and WHO technical assistance, under the framework of the Multi-annual Strategy for Human Resources Development in Health 2022–2030, the Ministry of Health issued the “Local Action Guide: Solutions for Human Resources in Health”. The document offers specific tools for human resources recruitment and retention and presents relevant case studies and examples of best practices implemented in Romania. The document is based on the WHO Guideline on Health Workforce Development, Attraction, Recruitment and Retention in Rural and Remote Areas, and includes recommendations on targeted educational and professional development policies, financial and non-financial incentives, regulation suggestions, examples of infrastructure improvements and community integration. The guide also lays out the necessary conditions for successful implementation, such as: intersectoral collaboration, training on human resource management and communication.