After more than five years of bureaucratic struggles, financial shortages, bloody negotiations, plans, strategies, voluntary work and a lot of dedication, the first hospital for oncological children, built with Romanian money, opened its doors. This performance was achieved even though the Romanian state did not contribute anything, on the contrary, it put sticks in the wheels until the end of this project
Little cancer patients were given a real chance at life. Photo source: “Give life” association
In the land of “it's not possible” and “we don't have money” we are experiencing a miracle today. The hospital built from scratch by the “Give Life” association was finally inaugurated, and the little patients have already been transferred to the wards. There are children with oncological diseases who were, until yesterday, hospitalized in the old building of the “Marie Curie” Hospital, children who, many of them, did not know what life meant beyond the bars of the beds in which they lay.
The transfer was made over several days, starting on Wednesday, April 10, and until yesterday morning, in order to provide the children with all the conditions of safety and comfort. The first patient transferred was Andreea, aged two and a half years, and the second was Darius, a baby of only three and a half months. The little girl was accompanied by three nurses and had a vital signs monitor. Despite the excitement of the change, shortly after she arrived in her new salon, she was already playing with another patient, Eva, who was transferred after her.
We are talking about the largest civic involvement initiative in Romania, about more than 350,000 Romanians who donated money, about more than 8,000 companies that supported what was to be the first Pediatric Oncology and Radiotherapy Hospital in Romania. “I have had many emotions during these years, in which I have built this hospital, but nothing can match the emotion I experienced when I saw these children rediscover their joy of living, despite the disease. Or the emotion we experienced seeing parents find new resources of trust and hope for their children, thanks to the new space and equipment that we, together with our donors and sponsors, have made available in this hospital built together”, said Carmen Uscatu, president of “Give Life“, during the press conference organized on the occasion of the inauguration of the hospital.
The story of this miracle – for we can talk about a miracle considering the situation of the sanitary system – followed its course for more than 5 years, with ups and downs. The last obstacle would come from the authorities themselves, who tried to block the project in a sea of bureaucracy, but also carelessness.
An absurd game of cat and mouse
The hospital was ready four months ago. The symbolic inauguration took place last November, when all the lights of the building were switched on. The medical unit had everything he needed. Equipped to Western standards, with modern equipment and advanced technology, it awaited its patients. But why be good when it can be bad? Minister Rafila said the hospital cannot function because it does not have all the documents. From then until now, although the documents had been sent to the ministry, a whole series of meaningless discussions and delays followed. “All the requested documents were handed over, in the form in which we were asked, a form that changed several times, starting from January”, Oana Gheorghiu, one of the initiators of the project, sent in a message on Facebook. According to her, Alexandru Rafila would have requested a list of the companies with which the association worked, as well as the values of the building and the equipment. After the documents were sent to him, the minister changed the rules of the game and asked for more and more documents, says Oana Gheorghiu. “Mr. Rafila sent people from the ministry to “help” take over and hand over the documents between “Give Life” and the “Marie Curie” Hospital, people who asked for documents that exceed the legal provisions (for example, proof of payments for each individual invoice , contracts, etc.), documents that we also provided. We said stop the abuse when we were asked to write «IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORIGINAL» and sign on every single document, i.e. on thousands of pages. Because this is what the Minister of Health has been doing for several months, abuse. Abuse, manipulation and sticks in the wheels.”
Following the media pressure created by this endless game of cat and mouse, the minister gives in. On April 4, he signs the Order approving the new structure of the “Marie Curie” Children's Hospital, and four days later, on April 8, the Directorate of Public Health, an institution subordinate to the Ministry of Health, issues the operating sanitary authorization, the last legal step so that the hospital can treat patients.
But the teasing did not stop there, and the war continues. Invited at the end of last week in a TV show, Minister Rafila said that the hospital built from donations and sponsorships does not belong to the “Dăruiște Viaţă” foundation, but is “a building of the “Marie Curie” Hospital”. The minister, who says that the foundation only has the credit for having collected the necessary money and hired a builder, continued his barrage of accusations by stating that the new medical unit “does not have all the documents”.
“If I couldn't do it, neither can you”
“Some people are trying to make a hospital, which the state has not done in 30 years, a hospital dedicated to children with oncological problems, and the minister knows nothing but to obstruct the system, firstly, and secondly , the civil society initiative“, commented on the situation Cezar Irimia, president of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients. “The minister knows nothing but to deny what was achieved by others, not by him. However, he did nothing. And these criminal obstacles placed on these two kind-hearted girls who built a hospital from scratch giving it to the state on a turnkey basis is something of the night of the mind. Putting sticks in the wheels of such a project is something unimaginable“, he continued.
Cezar Irimia tries to explain, although it is almost impossible, how such an anomaly in the system came to be. “Why did it come to this? The minister followed the principle: “If I couldn't do it, neither can you.” It has come to this because of the frustrations that surround it, because of the foolish pride, this impotence that has turned into a denial of reality. I can only be happy that those suffering children, who have a very long hospital stay, are now staying in a modern hospital and are being treated humanely from a mental and medical point of view. And the minister has only to point out one more failure in the activity of your “brilliant” Minister of Health without portfolio. I am extremely happy for the chance offered to our children with onco-hematological conditions”.
In Romania, there are approximately 5,000 children with oncological conditions, and every year another 500 new cases are diagnosed. Such a hospital is necessary, they are needed all over the country, not only at “Marie Curie”, is the opinion of the president of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients. “But we are glad that a step has been taken and I hope that these gray eminences of Romanian politics will turn their face to the voters they have this year and do at least now, in the 12th hour, something for the citizens of Romania. “
The Romanian state, tributary to bureaucratic experience
I also talked about this controversial topic with one of the representatives of the association of parents who have children with cancer (PAVEL). “I am glad that this hospital has opened, it is a major investment, the conditions are of the 21st century. It is a step forward towards normality”declared, for “Adevărul”, Mihai Benchea, educational project manager within the Association PAVEL “SI think the father was not able to give the green light very quickly because in Romania we are suffocated by bureaucracy, the authorities make decisions very difficult. The Romanian state is still tributary to this bureaucratic experience“, he added. Mihai Benchea told us that, now, after this huge step has been taken, there are others that may be smaller, smaller, but extremely important. “I am a hospital teacher and I hope that soon we can go there to do educational activities with the children who are or will be hospitalized. We have such activities with the children from Fundeni. Here we usually do educational classes in the salons. Many children are undergoing treatment, with infusions, which is why we go to them in the salons. I hope that we will be able to be near the children from “Marie Curie”, and that the educational act will take place in the best conditions. At the moment, the Bucharest School Inspectorate has a program with the «Marie Curie» Hospital on the «Hospital School». And we will definitely reach the new premises as well”, explained Mihai Benchea. “I hope we have the logistical moral support of the hospital to be able to continue the educational act there for all agesit is”, he concluded.
According to the president of the Federation of Associations of Cancer Patients, 20,000 cancer patients die annually in Romania. Moreover, in our country, 48% more patients lose the fight for life compared to the European average. “The minister has not been able to write the rules for implementing the National Cancer Plan even to this day. Furthermore, it repealed Article 7 of Law 293 of the National Cancer Plan, which required it to implement the plan within 180 days. Many times it happened that the minister told us: “We don't have money” and sent us to the Ministry of Finance. But it is not the Ministry of Finance that is responsible for our health and the continuity of our treatments, but the Ministry of Health is obliged by law to do so. But the minister has shown us countless times that he is above the law. It did nothing but harm to the health system in Romania“, Cezar Irimia also said.
The “Giving Life” hospital, in numbers
It cost 53 million euros to build and equip the first hospital for children with cancer in Romania. Over 350,000 Romanians donated to build the hospital. The total amount collected from Romanian donations was 20 million euros.
8,000 companies sponsored the project. The largest sponsorship came from the Petrom company – 10 million euros offered to equip the hospital.
The hospital has 9 levels and has oncology, radiotherapy, surgery and neurosurgery departments.
The hospital also has a cinema and a children's playground.
