Stigma and discrimination against Rroma patients in the Romanian healthcare system

Abstract

Abstract. Stereotyping is a phenomenon often met in society and it is manifested by stigmatization and discrimination. This phenomenon gains a deeply negative character when it is manifested in providing healthcare to some groups of people, races, and ethnicities. This paper is based on data obtained during a qualitative research aimed to correlate the necessity of the end-of-life care of a Rroma patient with Rroma traditions and the existing politics and services in the Romanian healthcare system. Our research was based on 48 interviews, conducted on chronic ill persons and caregivers, in Rroma communities from two regions of Romania (Cluj and Iaşi). During our study we found out that existing stigmatization of Rroma people at the level of general society, has an important impact on the access to and quality of the health services. All these have a significant influence on the dignity of the Rroma patients and finally represent a serious violation of human rights, in particular of the right to non-discrimination.