Gifts or bribes? Attitudes on informal payments in Romanian Healthcare

Abstract

Informal payments are quite common in public services in many – especially developing- countries to facilitate access to and quality of services. Health care is one sector where informal payments are often used. Patients give doctors, nurses and hospital staff gifts or money, or offer services in exchange for health services. This article combines vignettes with in-depth interviews to explore how Romanians assess the practice of informal payments.