"Good day, doctor!" When Floarea Ciupitu walks through the streets of Gangiova in southwestern Romania, she is greeted warmly by everyone. For three decades, the 63-year-old is the only doctor in the village. She looks after about 1700 patients. Photographer Ioana Moldovan accompanied the woman at her work and in everyday life to set a positive example for the difficult medical situation in Romania.

Many doctors, especially younger ones, are leaving the country in search of better working conditions and career opportunities. The conditions in many Romanian hospitals are devastating, both for patients and for doctors: problematic hygienic conditions, building defects, defective medical equipment, chronic revision. "None of the previous health ministers has managed to reach western standards of patient care," says photographer Moldovan.

Especially in the country, the lack of doctors is great. Almost 20 million people live in Romania, around half of them in rural areas. But in rural areas, there are only half as many doctors as in the cities. The few doctors in the villages have to treat a corresponding number of patients. Even Ciupitu sometimes gets to its limits.

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Country doctor in Romania: Leading by example

For Ciupitu her work is a vocation, she knew as a little girl that she wants to be a doctor: "I injected my dolls with safety pins." It does not matter if someone is insured or not, it puts the well-being of patients above profit, never rejects someone who needs help - no matter what time or conditions.

On weekdays, Ciupitu sleeps over her practice in a tiny room on an old hospital bed. There is no electricity at night, only a flashlight provides light. Her practice seems to have fallen out of time: paper files are piled up in old wooden cabinets, the medical equipment has already gotten old.

Bad infrastructure

During her working hours, Ciupitu spends most of her time in her office: advising patients, prescribing medication, injecting. In an emergency or when people can not come to her, she makes home visits. Moldovan accompanied the woman for several weeks. "The biggest challenge for me was not being intrusive when it came to taking pictures of patients," she says. "I've always tried not to disrupt the medical process and privacy."

The nearest hospital is 30 kilometers from Gangiova, which is 60 kilometers for the most difficult cases. The emergency services have great difficulty reaching the village due to the poor roads. Many patients, who are too far away, prefer to be treated by Ciupitu. Often the doctor then has to do great persuasion until the men and women visit a clinic.

For Moldovan, the 63-year-old is living proof that despite all the health care problems in the country, there are still doctors working for their patients. With her photo series she wants to motivate especially young doctors to follow in the footsteps of these physicians - despite or because of the current conditions in the country.