Constantin POIANĂ, Manager of the Buhuși Hospital, at FERM 2025: “A hospital that was about to be closed has become a regional center with 81 doctors and 20 specialties”
100 economic opportunities for the development of the Moldova Region on the A7 Highway route
MOLDOVA REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM 2025
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Health and Medical Services in the Moldova Region
Speaker:
Constantin Poiană – Manager of the “Prof. Dr. Eduard Apetrei” Hospital, Buhuși
Topic of the intervention:
“Psychiatric Care within the Public Health Network”
Constantin Poiană, manager of the “Prof. Dr. Eduard Apetrei” Hospital in Buhuși, presented a remarkable transformation: from a threatened provincial hospital to a regional model of medical efficiency, digitalization, and funding attraction. In just a few years, the facility has grown exponentially, both in capacity and in the complexity of services provided.
From a hospital with a single emergency room to a center with dozens of specialties and state-of-the-art equipment
“I represent a small hospital with 200 beds, but one located between two medical giants. Nevertheless, in 2024 we had 39,000 visits to the Emergency Department – over 120 per day,” Constantin Poiană began.
He emphasized that the hospital started, a few years ago, with a single emergency room staffed by one physician, and today has a fully functional emergency department with six on-call doctors, supported by three ICU doctors who cover additional needs.
Massive investments and attracted funds: nearly 500 million euros
Constantin Poiană explained that the funds were secured through persistence at all levels – Ministry, National Health Insurance House, Special Emergency Situations Inspectorate – as well as through European projects and the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
“If you ask me how much money we managed to attract during six years in office, we are talking about a figure close to 500 million euros.”
A major project, worth 250 million euros, involves building from scratch a modern infectious diseases ward, with single or double rooms and private restrooms – a standard learned from the lessons of the pandemic.
Hospital rehabilitated and energy-efficient: “It looks new, but it’s old, just properly refurbished”
In a speech supported by a visual presentation, Poiană showed how the infrastructure has evolved: the 2025 hospital is fully rehabilitated, lit and heated with hot water from photovoltaic sources, equipped with solar panels, and state-of-the-art devices.
“We are not a new hospital, but we have a clean, modern, functional, and safe environment. Even the anesthesia machine has AI and can automatically alert the medical team in emergencies.”
Human resources strength: from 22 to 81 doctors
Another impressive indicator is the increase in the number of doctors: from 22 in 2018 to 81 in 2025, which means approximately one doctor per three beds. The hospital currently has 20 medical specialties in continuous hospitalization and 17 specialties in day hospitalization. In addition, there are three additional on-call lines: ICU, radiology, and pediatrics – all fully staffed.
The manager pointed out with a slightly jovial tone the role of insistence and perseverance in obtaining the necessary resources.
“Maybe my luck is that I am not a doctor. I have been knocking on ministry doors until they got tired of me and gave me funds. If you don’t insist, no one pays attention to you.”
Regional attractiveness: 30% of patients come from other counties
In 2024, the Buhuși hospital admitted over 44,500 patients, and one third of them came from other counties. In the first half of 2025, there were already 22,465 discharges, with the same percentage of patients from outside the county.
“The fact that patients come to Buhuși from Cluj, Baia Mare or from the medical diaspora shows that we are an attractive hospital. We are not the biggest, but we have become a functional center with comprehensive services.”
Laparoscopic surgery, AI-assisted recovery, and top MRI machines
The hospital performs hundreds of surgical interventions annually, of which 90% are laparoscopic, and owns state-of-the-art medical equipment, including for neurological recovery assisted by artificial intelligence.
“We had a 17-year-old patient with a stroke who came in a wheelchair and left on her own feet. For that, all the effort is worth it.”
A new project is already under evaluation for acquiring the first AI-powered MRI in the region, intended to support faster and more precise diagnosis.
Strict rules and a safe hospital: “If you want to enter anytime, go to the mall, not the hospital”
Poiană also spoke about the strict visiting rules in the hospital, which have caused controversy but brought concrete benefits in infection control.
“Visiting hours are visiting hours. If you want to enter whenever you want, go to the mall. In the hospital, you enter clean, equipped, and accompanied. We do not negotiate patient safety.”
Provincial hospital, but with medical flights: “The first plane with patients from Italy arrived in Buhuși”
Finally, Constantin Poiană offered a symbolic image of the impact created: “A few days ago, the first plane with medical tourists from Italy, from the Piemonte region, arrived. They came for CT and MRI investigations in Buhuși. So, in a way, we took some of their money,” he said, not without a hint of satisfaction.
Conclusion: a transformation model for small hospitals in Romania
Constantin Poiană’s speech at the Moldova Regional Economic Forum 2025 was more than a technical presentation – it was a plea for the possible transformation of provincial hospitals, provided they have vision, persistence, and good use of available resources.
“We were almost closed down. Today, we are sought after by patients from all over the country. This is not luck. It is hard work. It is strategy. And yes, a bit of stubbornness,” concluded the manager.
