General hospitalizations fall for January-April, but cardiology cases increase

2025-06-19 07:23:00, Aktualitet CNA

The total number of hospitalized patients for January-April 2025 has decreased by 1% compared to the same period in 2024.

A decrease has also been noted in the number of patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals.

According to data from the Ministry of Health's Financial Indicators Monitoring Report for January-April 2025, the number of people hospitalized in psychiatric hospitals has decreased by 3.4%, after an increase recorded in 2023.

Despite the overall decline in hospitalizations, cases in cardiology have increased. For the period January-April 2025, the number of patients treated in cardiac surgery has increased by 18% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching 3,899 patients. This is the highest number of patients treated in cardiology since 2020, signaling the predictions made by doctors of an increase in cases of cardiological problems as a result of air pollution, malnutrition and lack of physical activity.

INSTAT recently reported that year after year mortality due to circulatory diseases is increasing, reflecting an unhealthy lifestyle. Circulatory diseases accounted for 52.9% of total deaths in 2024, up from 51.7% in 2023. Within this group, chronic heart diseases accounted for 39.1%; ischemic heart diseases 23.2% and cerebrovascular diseases 20.6%.

Significant increases were also noted in patients treated for cataracts (eye disease) by 15%, as well as in dialysis sessions, which increased by 3%, reaching 68,848 sessions.

The emergency medical service recorded an increase of 6%, after a significant decline that began after the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, important services such as radiotherapy have decreased by 15% for the period January-April 2025, compared to 2024, going from 10,133 who were treated with radiotherapy sessions last year to 8,662 patients.

The number of patients treated with reimbursable drug prescriptions drops by 15%.

For the period January-April 2025, 333,283 patients were treated with reimbursable drug prescriptions. Compared to the same period in 2024, their number decreased by 15%.

According to the monitoring report, about 3.8 billion lek or 31% of the annual plan of 12.6 billion lek was spent on the reimbursement of medicines on the list for January-April. In this period, 3.9 billion lek worth of medicines were received, or 253.5 million lek less than the same period last year (94%).

For the reimbursement of medical equipment (diabetes kits) 51.2 million lek out of 250 million lek of the annual plan were spent (paid), or 20% of the annual plan. For January-April, 46,048 patients benefited from diabetes kits, or 3,641 patients more than in the same period a year ago.

Regarding the reimbursement of diabetes vouchers, with Council of Ministers No. 492, dated 24.07.2024, in addition to people with Diabetes Mellitus in the age group 0-25 years and over 65 years, also disabled people and people with disabilities benefited.

Since August 2024, 50 new drugs and medications have been added to the list of reimbursable drugs, of which 38 new active ingredients and 18 new dosage forms. After their addition, the total number of drugs on the reimbursable list reached 1,345 from 1,191 previously.

Medicines from the reimbursable list further support all diagnoses and pathologies of oncological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney diseases, bronchial asthma, pulmonary diseases, etc./ Monitor Magazine