Secretary of state in Romania’s Ministry of Health takes over as new health minister

President Klaus Iohannis signed on Thursday, March 26, the decree appointing Nelu Tataru as the new health minister in Romania's government. He is replacing Victor Costache, who resigned earlier the same day.

Nelu Tataru was secretary of state in the Ministry of Health led by Costache. Prime minister Ludovic Orban proposed him for the position of health minister, saying that Tataru "has been in the front line in the fight against the novel coronavirus" and is familiar with the strategy.

Nelu Tataru, 47, is a surgeon. Since 2006 he has been the head of the surgery unit at the Municipal Hospital of Husi, in Vaslui County, and between 2007-2010 he managed the entire hospital, according to local G4media.ro.

He was a local councilor in the city of Husi (2012) and president of the Husi branch of the National Liberal Party - PNL (2011-2012), and a senator in the 2012-2016 legislature, member of the Legal Commission. He is currently the president of PNL Vaslui.

Tataru was appointed State Secretary in the Ministry of Health when the new government led by prime minister Ludovic Orban was installed.

During the government meeting held on Thursday, March 26, PM Orban asked the new minister of health to take the necessary steps to establish very clearly all the measures that will be taken to combat the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to local Agerpres.

On Friday morning, Tataru said that the medical staff would be tested with priority to see if they have been infected with the novel coronavirus, local Hotnews.ro reported. He also warned that the coming weeks will be even more difficult.

“We will provide the necessary equipment, sanitary materials and sanitary protection equipment, as well as the number of tests needed for all those who will enter into a testing protocol, according to epidemiological investigations. I should mention that the medical staff would have priority in these units during that test. We take care of our staff, more difficult weeks will come, there will be severe cases, critical cases, but we will overcome this period and come out stronger,” Tataru said.

The manager of the Matei Bals Institute of Infectious Diseases in Bucharest, Dr. Adrian Streinu-Cercel, said on Thursday that a sample of