Dr. Rodica BOCA (Dorna Medical), at FERM 2025: “Laboratory medicine contributes 70% to the patient’s medical record. And yet, we remain invisible within the system”
Mesaje publice
REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Health and Medical Services in the Moldova Region
Speaker:
Dr. Rodica BOCA, Senior Specialist in Laboratory Medicine, Dorna Medical
Presentation topic:
“The clinical laboratory – between classical technology, robotics, and artificial intelligence”
At a time when Romania is discussing digitalization, artificial intelligence, and performance in the healthcare system, as well as the acute lack of equity in medical funding, the intervention of Dr. Rodica Boca, senior specialist in laboratory medicine and founder of the Dorna Medical network, was one of the most valuable contributions to the Regional Economic Forum Moldova 2025, held in Vatra Dornei.
During the Panel 6 – Health and Medical Services in the Moldova Region, Dr. Boca spoke about the evolution of laboratory medicine in Romania over the last three decades, the technological progress few are aware of, and especially about the constant struggle for recognition and financial support in a field that underpins the entire medical act.
From a manual lab in Vatra Dornei to a robotic network with American infrastructure
“I started in a laboratory where it was just me and one nurse, and my husband handled administration. It was before the Health Insurance House. It was pioneering in the most concrete sense.”
Today, Dorna Medical is a complex network, present in Suceava County and beyond, offering tests in all areas: from biochemistry and immunology to molecular biology and pathology. The laboratories are robotic, monitored via GPS and digital traceability, with the entire workflow – from sample collection to results delivery – being automated.
“We centrifuge 120 samples simultaneously, and every second we know exactly where each tube is. Critical results reach the ER doctor immediately – because that’s where lives are saved.”
Technology advances. Funding stays stuck in the past
And yet, performance brings no benefit in dealing with the Romanian state. Dr. Boca denounced the failure to update reimbursement tariffs from the Health Insurance House, which have remained unchanged for over 12 years despite soaring costs and cutting-edge equipment.
“We’re operating at a loss on many tests. For protein electrophoresis, we get 15 lei, but the test costs us 27 – not counting calibration or staff.”
Even worse, the system favors providers using cheap equipment and unreliable methods:
“They buy a cheap Chinese device for 3 lei and get reimbursed 25. The method, quality, accuracy – none of that matters. No checks. It’s painful.”
Dialogue with academia: partnerships, education, and training specialists
Dr. Mihai Covașă, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at “Ștefan cel Mare” University in Suceava, raised a key issue: the lack of medical education in the community and the dramatic effects of misinformation.
“How do we educate? Children die from preventable diseases. The vaccination rate is below 50% in the region. What can we do together?”
Dr. Boca’s response was direct and responsible:
“We are part of a project with the Cantacuzino Institute. We’re testing new vaccines. We’re involved in the community, but we want to be truly integrated into the medical system. We’ve been on the front line for 28 years, yet we’re still treated as outsiders.”
She also advocated for the creation of a master’s program in biochemistry, to provide continuity for graduates of Biology and Biochemistry who already intern at Dorna Medical.
Conclusion: a powerful message that reflects the reality on the ground
Dr. Rodica Boca’s presentation was more than just a technical talk: it was an honest X-ray of the realities faced by private providers who work diligently, invest in technology, contribute significantly to public health, and yet remain marginalized in a rigid and unfair system.
This voice is all the more important as the Regional Economic Forum Moldova aims to identify concrete solutions for developing infrastructure and services in the region. The health-focused panel was a space where the modernization of the system, attracting investment, integrating private partners, and strengthening human resources were discussed.
Through the example of Dorna Medical, Dr. Boca showed that medical excellence can be built in the northeast region. But she also sounded a warning: without fair public policies, without merit-based recognition, and without proper funding, this success model will remain isolated.
“Laboratory medicine is not just about test tubes. It makes up 70% of the medical act. And if we don’t understand that, we have no chance to build a real healthcare system.”
