Five hospitals in Prahova stopped admissions due to the drinking water crisis, and the Ministry of Health activated an emergency cell, asking hospitals in Bucharest to reserve beds for possible transfers.
Five hospitals in Prahova county stopped admissions, after the drinking water crisis seriously affected the activity of the health units. The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, announced on Tuesday, December 2, that the situation is “alert”, as the lack of water makes it impossible for hospitals to function normally.
The affected institutions are Câmpina Municipal Hospital, Voila Psychiatry Hospital, Florești Pneumophthisiology Hospital, Băicoi City Hospital and Breaza Pneumology Hospital.
“A hospital without water is a non-functional hospital”, explained the minister, adding that at the moment there is no question of closing them, but stopping admissions is mandatory for the safety of patients.
In the five units, 378 patients are currently hospitalized, and the medical staff numbers 1,260 employees.
In order to prevent a medical crisis, the Ministry of Health activated an emergency cell and asked emergency hospitals in Bucharest – University Hospital, Bagdasar-Arseni, Floreasca, Elias and Children’s Emergency Hospital – to reserve five beds each in the surgical wards and five non-surgical beds for possible transfers or major emergencies by Monday.
Hospitals in Bucharest, ready to receive patients
“At the moment, 378 patients are hospitalized in these five health units, and the staff serving the health units is 1,260. At the Ministry of Health, I convened and ordered this evening an emergency cell in which I included the emergency hospitals in Bucharest and here I am talking about the University Hospital, Bagdasar Arseni Hospital, Floreasca Hospital, Elias Hospital and the Children’s Emergency Hospital, in case it will be necessary the transfer of patients already hospitalized or in case we have an emergency situation at the county level, a situation in which we have multiple victims, all these health units will have, by Monday, a number of five beds in the surgical area and five beds in the non-surgical area blocked for Prahova County in order to be able to respond to the need for transfer or in case certain emergencies arise”. declared Minister Alexandru Rogobete, from Poieşti, where he talked with the managers of the affected hospitals.
Until the water supply resumes, estimated for the beginning of next week, the affected hospitals will receive daily bottled water.
The State Sanitary Inspection also imposed additional measures to prevent nosocomial infections: intensified disinfection and frequent testing of water and surfaces in hospitals.
“Of course, the State Sanitary Inspection from the Ministry of Health also left the necessary recommendations for the monitoring and control of infections associated with medical activity in sanitary units that do not have drinking or household water at the moment, and in the discussion we had with the Prime Minister, we will supplement with 1,640 sheets at 2 liters per day, until Monday inclusive, 1,640 daily, to supply the 5 hospitals with drinking water, both for patients and and for the medical staff employed there”, said the Minister of Health.
“From a public health point of view we are on alert, but the situation is not a medical emergency at this time,” added Alexandru Rogobete, who called for calm and recommended the population to drink only bottled water.
However, the water crisis in Prahova has effects far beyond the sanitary system. On Tuesday, December 2, the Brazi power plant, one of the most important production capacities with low CO₂ emissions, was stopped due to the lack of industrial water, following the emptying of the Paltinu reservoir, which has already left approximately 100,000 people in two counties without drinking water.
