Donation-funded hospital in Bucharest to start receiving COVID-19 patients this week

The modular hospital built by local NGO Daruieste Viata in the courtyard of the Elias Hospital in Bucharest could start treating COVID-19 patients this week, according to prime minister Ludovic Orban.

The hospital, which was built through private donations, was completed about a month ago.

“Together with Mr. Raed Arafat, the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, we decided to allocate all the necessary equipment from the reserve stock quickly - ventilators, syringe pumps, monitors and all things necessary to make this external section operational as soon as possible, so that, from next week […], hopefully from Tuesday morning, this hospital can receive patients who need treatment at the Intensive Care Unit,” prime minister Orban said, according to Stirileprotv.ro. He made the statements on Saturday, July 18, after visiting the modular hospital.

Ludovic Orban also thanked Daruieste Viata Association and the 250,000 Romanians who, together with companies, donated to build this modular hospital. The medical facility has 38 beds for COVID-19 patients.

Daruieste Viata Association was founded by Oana Gheorghiu and Carmen Uscatu in 2015. The NGO is building the first Pediatric Oncology and Radiotherapy Hospital in Romania, entirely funded from private donations. Even Metallica gave EUR 250,000 when they came to play a concert in Bucharest in August 2019.

(Photo source: Gov.ro)