„We train doctors with state funds, but for others” | Alarm raised by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Suceava, Mihai COVAȘĂ, ahead of FERM 2025

In the context of the upcoming Moldova Regional Economic Forum 2025, a strategic event dedicated to the sustainable development of the region, the debate on health and medical services organized by Antena 3 Suceava brought to the forefront the challenges of the healthcare system in the northern part of the country

The intervention of Professor Dr. Mihai Covașă, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in Suceava, was one of the most substantial, outlining the contours of a complex reality where academic initiative, systemic underfunding, and the exodus of qualified human resources intersect.

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13 Years of Development and Vision: Faculty of Medicine Suceava – from Local Initiative to Regional Pillar

“We started establishing health programs in Suceava 13 years ago, in 2011. It has been a period of continuous development,” stated Prof. Univ. Dr. Mihai Covașă. Starting with nutrition and dietetics, continuing with balneo-physiotherapy, general nursing, and dental technology, the Faculty has managed to build a solid academic foundation, recently complemented by the general medicine study program launched in 2023.

[https://youtu.be/qoa1MjukF4Y](https://youtu.be/qoa1MjukF4Y)

Currently, the enrollment quota for the medicine program is 60 places, of which only 16 are state-funded due to the integrated allocation system at USV. “We have formed the training base, both in infrastructure and human resources. Our efforts are directed towards a real and urgent need in this region,” added the dean.

Disproportions and Imbalances: Moldova – a Region with Few Doctors Although Romania Trains 6,000 Annually

Romania produces nearly 6,000 doctors annually, but their distribution is profoundly uneven. Over 30,000 of the 55,000 active doctors practice in only 5 counties – mainly Iași, Cluj, and Bucharest.

“Someone looking only at the numbers might say we have no problem. But in reality, we face a major crisis. And if systemic measures are not taken, we will continue to perpetuate the shortage of doctors despite the enormous efforts we make in their training,” warns Dean Covașă.

The Public System – a Doctor Factory for Export

One of the harshest conclusions of the dean concerned the exodus of doctors trained in Romania with public funds. The state invests significant sums in their training but fails to retain them within the national system.

“We train students with extraordinary expenses and efforts, but the majority leave. Very few remain, even though their studies are funded by public taxes,” he emphasized.

Foreign Language Programs Also Supported by Public Infrastructure

Even in the case of foreign language programs – often accessed by students from Arab, African, or European countries – the infrastructure is provided by the Romanian state. “Although fees range between 8,000 and 10,000 euros, the expenses related to personnel, infrastructure, and hospitals are covered by public funds,” Covașă pointed out.

No Residency Program, No Local Perspective

Suceava currently lacks its own residency program, although the County Hospital has clinical status and could become a training hub. “The criteria to create a residency program are very strict. If relaxed, university hospitals like ours could train and retain young doctors here,” said the dean.

Another anomaly is the limited number of residency positions available, which do not even cover the minimum needs resulting from enrollment figures. Practically, Romania produces doctors who have no place to start their careers.

Ion Ștefanovici (CAPDR): “The Suceava University Hospital Will Double the Region’s Medical Response Capacity and Will Create Professional Loyalty Towards Moldova”

The statements of Dean Mihai Covașă were supported and reinforced by the President of the Center for Analysis and Planning of Regional Development (CAPDR), Ion Ștefanovici. According to him, under the dean’s leadership, the Faculty of Medicine has become an academic excellence center for the entire northeast area.

“Under the leadership of Dean Prof. Univ. Dr. Mihai Covașă, the Faculty of Medicine within the ‘Ștefan cel Mare’ University of Suceava has become, in just a few years, a benchmark of rigor, professionalism, and vision in training future generations of doctors for Suceava, Botoșani, Neamț counties, and the Republic of Moldova.”

From this university core now develops a major project: the “Saint John the New” University Hospital, a strategic investment that could transform Suceava into the second Regional Center of Health Excellence after Iași. This hospital will double the region’s capacity to respond to complex medical needs and will strengthen the public health network in northern Moldova.

“But the real challenge is not only to train doctors – it is to keep them at home. Home must be a place of trust, offering real professional opportunities, a fair partnership with the private sector, and a quality of life that balances the vocational effort.”

Ștefanovici also emphasized that supporting the faculty and the future university hospital means more than medical development: it means “creating a human network of loyalty, belonging, and dedication to public health.”

In this regard, he announced the launch of the regional program “HEALTHY MOLDOVA”, which starts from Suceava and is based on “respect for science and care for those who choose to build their future at home in the Moldova Region.”

Conclusion: Moldova Needs a Regional Medical Strategy, Not Just Isolated Initiatives

The statements of Dean Covașă and President Ștefanovici are clear signals in favor of a coherent and well-funded regional medical development strategy. The Moldova region can no longer function as a periphery of the Romanian medical system. Every investment in education, infrastructure, and doctor retention becomes part of a necessary reconstruction that must be assumed politically, economically, and administratively.

Panel 6 – “Health and Medical Services in the Moldova Region” within the Moldova Regional Economic Forum 2025, designed as a space for strategic reflection and applied action in the medical field

Panel 6 – “Health and Medical Services in the Moldova Region” within the Moldova Regional Economic Forum 2025 is designed as a space for strategic reflection and applied action in the medical field, aiming to lay the foundation of the future regional program “HEALTHY MOLDOVA”. The panel will bring together key actors from public administration, the academic environment, hospitals, health authorities, medical technology companies, and private investors to generate an integrated vision of the healthcare system in northeastern Romania.

The central themes address both current dysfunctions – lack of modern infrastructure, human resource crisis, and unequal distribution of medical services – as well as opportunities that can transform Moldova into a pole of medical excellence: development of regional university centers, digitalization of the healthcare system, attracting investments, and sustainable public-private partnerships.

One of the essential directions of the panel is the creation of a “Map of Medical Specializations in the Moldova Region”, a strategic tool that will allow the correlation of the real needs of the population with existing resources and medical personnel training planning. Also, the foundations will be laid for a new medical governance model to enable better coordination between university centers, county hospitals, and local authorities.

Thus, the panel will mark not only a thematic debate but the beginning of a concrete regional construction, starting from the recognition of local value – as in the case of Suceava – and moving toward consolidating a regional health network with real capacity for retention, innovation, and sustainability.