The Moral Economy of Informal Payments for Healthcare in Romania

第178场兴泉全球健康讲座
No. 178 Aegon-Industrial Global Health Seminar Series

Abstract:

According to the Special Eurobarometer survey on corruption conducted in 2022, Romania had the highest rate of informal payments, gifts, or donations made within hospital settings across the European Union. Notably, nearly one in five patients (18%) reported engaging in such transactions. While this figure aligns with the 2019 data, it represents a significant decrease from 2013, when over a quarter (28%) of patients reported making informal payments. This ongoing research explores the enduring presence of informal payments within the Romanian healthcare system. By investigating the cultural and social meanings attached to informal payments and gifts, the study unravels the intricate, and at times contradictory, motivations behind such practices. Interviews conducted with both Roma and non-Roma individuals shed light on the complex impact informal transactions have on vulnerable social groups. Ultimately, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the moral economy of healthcare in Romania and its implications for social inequality.

Speaker Bio: 

Marius Wamsiedel is an assistant professor of global health at Duke Kunshan University. He earned his BA in Sociology from the University of Arizona in 2009 and his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Hong Kong in 2016. Prior to joining Duke Kunshan University, he worked in the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University from 2017 to 2022. On the intersection of society, culture, and health, his work examines the social categorization of patients, the economy of favors within healthcare settings, and the access of vulnerable groups to health services. Earlier this year, he published his first book, titled “The Moral Evaluation of Emergency Department Patients: An Ethnography of Triage Work in Romania” (Lexington Books).