Health minister and Bucharest mayor start talks for new regional hospital

Bucharest might have a regional hospital at European standards, which would be financed by public funds from the local and central administration, as well as EU funds. Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea met health minister Vlad Voiculescu at the end of last week to discuss the priorities of Bucharest’s current administration, the Health Ministry’s priorities, and the ways the two institutions can work together. The manager of the Bucharest Administration Hospitals and Medical Services (ASSMB) Emanuel Botnariu also attended the meeting. During the talks, the two officials also discussed the possibility of building a regional hospital in Bucharest. In this sense, Bucharest’s mayor Gabriela Firea will go to Brussels on September 7 to talk with EU Commissioner Corina Cretu about this project. “The Ministry of Health encourages the local authorities’ involvement in investments in the health sector. We will seek a location for the future unit and we’ll draw up the project in parallel with the preparation of other projects for regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, and Craiova,” said the health minister. The mayor and the health minister also discussed the inventory the City Hall has decided to make in the 19 hospitals subordinated to the municipality to find out what facilities are urgent, what repairs are needed, and staff shortages. Bucharest’s District 1 City Hall announced last Friday that it would build a new hospital in the northern area of the capital, in partnership with the Ministry of Health. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com