Bucharest allocates EUR 29 mln to equip hospitals

Bucharest’s General Council has allocated over RON 130 million (some EUR 29 million) to equip 19 hospitals administered by the City Hall. Of the total amount, some EUR 3.4 million will be reimbursed by the end of this year, and the rest will be granted next year. The equipment will be bought via public tenders. The amount is still an estimate. “We have an inventory that is necessary for the hospitals in Bucharest to reach the level of those in Europe,” said Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea. Nicusor Dan, who is a general councilor from the Save Bucharest Union (USB), said that he would vote the project but only with two amendments, reports local Hotnews.ro. The City Hall should allot money for hospitals in its budget. However, the amount shouldn’t be used to directly buy the equipment presented in the inventory. The needs of every hospital should be assessed, and more factors should be considered. When the hospitals need money, they should come in front of the General Council, to present their proposals, said Dan. He explained that his party supported the allocation of these amounts, but there have been several examples where the unwise allocation of money has led to failures. The Bucharest Administration Hospitals and Medical Services, which manages the 19 hospitals, should come up with an assessment of what is the current need for equipment, how old is the current equipment. In the case of very expensive equipment, the City Hall should first check if hospitals have adequate spaces to deposit it and how expensive is to operate the equipment, Nicusor Dan explained. editor@romania-insider.com