Head of Romania’s only major burns unit dismissed after patient develops multiple multi-resistant hospital-acquired infections

Plastic surgeon Tiberiu Paul Neagu, head of the Burns Center at Floreasca Hospital, one of the major hospitals in Bucharest, was dismissed on Monday, August 4, after a patient was transferred to Belgium following multiple multi-resistant hospital-acquired infections.

The scandal broke out when a patient with burns over 70% of her body, who had been hospitalized for 53 days at Floreasca Hospital, was transferred to Belgium. Doctors there soon revealed that she was infected with Candida auris, a type of hospital-borne fungus.

An outbreak of Candida auris was declared on Friday, August 1, at the Burns Center run by Neagu. The State Sanitary Inspection, sent by the minister of health, requested the testing of all patients and staff. Analyses confirmed that 3 of the 6 patients with severe burns admitted here were infected with Candida auris.

Following the outbreak, Neagu’s resignation was publicly demanded by health minister Alexandru Rogobete. In a post on Facebook, the minister said the surgeon was on leave and had even requested an extension of it, despite the crisis.

“The head of the Severe Burns Center at Floreasca Hospital shows gross irresponsibility and indifference. Arrogance and indolence are incompatible with professional dignity, regardless of academic title,” Rogobete wrote on Facebook.

Neagu had been head of the Burns Center since 2022, when the burns unit of Floreasca Hospital was declared a major burns center, the only one in Romania, according to HotNews.

Contacted by the press, Neagu said he is not to blame for the patient’s worsened condition and that he had no reason to resign. He confirmed that he was dismissed and added that he did not have an extended leave, as was claimed.

The head of the microbiology laboratory of the “Floreasca” Hospital, Ileana Coldea, was also dismissed.

In response, the Floreasca Hospital management announced a series of measures to address the shortcomings highlighted by the case. First, the administration announced a managerial reorganization, dismissing the management of the Center for Severe Burns and the hospital laboratory and replacing them with Dr. Adrian Frunză and Dr. Oana Iulia Talpoș, respectively.

Moreover, the patient's medical observation sheet was sent to the College of Physicians for transparency, to uncover medical errors. The hospital management also announced that a real-time feedback system is being implemented, through which each patient can report any irregularity directly to the chief physician of the ward. Finally, patient communication courses will be provided to all employees.