FERM 2024 | Message from the Interim Medical Director of the Suceava County Ambulance Service, Marian STANCU

Health Panel

Module II – Emergency Medicine: Between Current Practice and Continuous Education

SPEAKER – Dr. Marian STANCU, Interim Medical Director of the Suceava County Ambulance Service

TOPIC: The Status of the Vehicle Fleet of the Suceava County Emergency Service

Dr. Marian Stancu specializes in family medicine and emergency medicine. Currently, he serves as the Interim Medical Director at the Suceava County Ambulance Service, where he has been active since 2019. He temporarily held the position of Interim General Manager of the same institution from May to June 2024. Additionally, since January 1, 2019, he has been employed as a specialist in Family Medicine at the central station of the Suceava County Ambulance Service. Previously, he was a resident in emergency medicine at the “Sf. Pantelimon” County Emergency Hospital Focșani and worked with SMURD Iași.

At the start of the presentation, Dr. Stancu highlighted the current state of ambulances within the Suceava County Ambulance Service. He noted that many of these vehicles are in a state of advanced wear and have already covered over 1,000,000 kilometers, becoming inefficient and costly to maintain. „The greatly aged and worn vehicle fleet consumes much of the financial resources of the SAJ”, Dr. Stancu pointed out. Major issues include the lack of heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, making daily operations challenging.

These technical deficiencies have a direct impact on the quality of medical services. Dr. Stancu explained how the worn-out ambulances not only lead to high maintenance costs but also result in an insufficient number of available vehicles at certain times, as many are sent for repairs. The current situation negatively affects response times and patient care quality.

The need for identifying new funding resources

The Suceava County Ambulance Service faces significant financial constraints, relying exclusively on funding from the Ministry of Health. Dr. Stancu emphasized the need for additional funding and the identification of other revenue sources to replace the current ambulance fleet. „We have discussed the possibility of external sponsorship for the acquisition of new ambulances”, Stancu mentioned.

Renovation and modernization of the SAJ facilities were also highlighted. Another issue raised was the condition of the facilities, particularly the one in Vatra Dornei. Currently, only the ground floor of the building has been renovated, while the upper floor remains unusable.

Dr. Stancu stressed the need to secure funds for the complete rehabilitation of the facilities, noting that although funding requests have been submitted to the Ministry of Health since 2016, they have not been approved.

„At the Vatra Dornei facility, the existing building has been renovated only on the ground floor, also through sponsorships”, explained Stancu. Plans include setting up a training room for SAJ staff, as there is currently only a small room at the central station.

Expansion of the substation network

Another highlighted aspect was the opening of new ambulance substations to improve coverage and reduce response times. Recently, two new substations were opened in the county, in Moldovița and Liteni (Dolhasca).

„We intend to open 2-3 more new substations to significantly reduce the response time of ambulances to patients”, Dr. Stancu declared. These new substations are crucial for ensuring rapid access to emergency services in the county’s rural and hard-to-reach areas. Dr. Marian Stancu’s presentation provided a real and detailed picture of the challenges faced by the Suceava County Ambulance Service, highlighting the need for fleet modernization and infrastructure expansion.