Deadline for Romanian regional hospitals deferred to 2027

Romania’s health minister Sorina Pintea said on Tuesday, October 1, that the three regional hospitals will be completed during 2024-2027, "according to European experts, based on the feasibility studies," G4media.ro reported.

This marks another delay in the development of the regional hospitals, agreed with the European Commission since 2014. Romania’s Government has constantly postponed the projects of the three regional emergency hospitals (Iași, Cluj and Craiova) in recent years.

Former European Commissioner Corina Cretu, who has constantly encouraged the Romanian authorities to push ahead the projects, expressed disappointment at the new delay.

"Unfortunately, after initially announcing their completion in 2020, then in 2023, I hear now about 2027... The feeling that these projects of national interest have been sabotaged, postponed, only to prove that Romania does not have a "patriot" commissioner is getting stronger. (...) I intend, as I have confessed before, to recall the efforts made by me and my team for the development of Romania over the last five years," said Creţu in a Facebook post.

In response, minister of health Pintea confirmed the delay, but said that Creţu resorted "to a political approach that does no good to anyone."

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