Nazare:Over 2 billion lei shifted from fourth quarter to third quarter to cover healthcare obligations

 The Ministry of Finance has approved the reallocation of 2.058 billion lei for healthcare?shifting the funds from the fourth quarter to the third?to pay for medical services, devices, and medicines already provided or dispensed to patients, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare announced on Facebook on Thursday."At the Ministry of Finance, we have approved the rescheduling?across quarters?of 2.058 billion lei allocated for healthcare by shifting this amount from the fourth quarter to the third. We are not increasing the total expenditure approved for 2026; rather, we are bringing forward resources already budgeted for the final months of the year to ensure that healthcare payment obligations falling due earlier can be settled. We are making this move at a time when pressure on the system's funding has become apparent, and a risk had emerged that certain medical services might face financial difficulties starting in October. In budget management, such risks must be identified early and addressed before they turn into bottlenecks. These funds cover medical services and devices already provided to patients, as well as medications already dispensed. We are, therefore, dealing with existing invoices that must be paid, not with new expenditures," the minister explained.He emphasized that the measure alleviates immediate pressure and the risk of a funding standstill in early October, but does not offer a solution to the structural funding problems of the healthcare system."We can reschedule the flow of funds to get through a difficult period, but we cannot turn such interventions into a permanent way of operating," stated Alexandru Nazare.The Minister of Finance pointed out that any additional resources or budgetary flexibility must be accompanied by measures for reform, increased efficiency, and expenditure control.The healthcare sector needs greater predictability, better expenditure control, and a much clearer link between assumed obligations and available resources. At the same time, it requires that every allocated leu yield better medical services for patients."The current intervention addresses the immediate pressure. The next step must be to reduce the causes that periodically generate these pressures. A healthy budget means not just finding funds when problems arise, but building a system where spending is predictable, controlled, and efficient," the Finance Minister also wrote on his social media page.