Romanian family doctors submitted requests at the health insurance agencies on Monday to enter medical leave for the period of Wednesday February 18 to Friday, February 20. The gesture represents a protest against the 2009 budgetary allocation, Romania's National Family Doctors Association president Rodica Tanasescu declared, quoted by news agency Mediafax.

Requests will be submitted by all family doctors, Tanasescu said and protest actions will continue. Doctors are afraid that the 2009 budgetary cut will lead medical cabinets with less than 1,500 patients into bankruptcy.

Health minister Ion Bazac has declared that family doctors would have a suitable budget for 2009: he explained that the budget offers financial compensations for family doctors. Bazac added that, depending on the volume and quality of their services, the ministry would financially reward the doctors who deserve it.