11 years after the tragedy in the Colectiv club, Bucharest still does not have a hospital to treat patients with serious burns. The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, said on Thursday that the creation of such a medical unit represents a “retardation of the soul” towards the victims and expressed his hope that the steps to build the hospital could start next year. The statements were made at the inauguration of the new Tuberculosis Diagnostic, Treatment and Research Center within the “Marius Nasta” Institute in the Capital.
Rogobete: Bucharest has a backlog of soul
The Minister of Health stated that Bucharest needs a center to treat patients with serious burns, evoking the tragedy that occurred 11 years ago in the Colectiv club.
“Bucharest has a backlog of soul, a backlog for the dignity of the people who 11 years ago went through a great tragedy”, declared Alexandru Rogobete.
The minister stated that two centers for severely burned patients, in Timișoara and Târgu Mureș, were completed and he also referred to the center for children in Bucharest.
“In Romania there are 3 centers for severe burns, one in Timișoara, one in Târgu Mureș, which are completed, the one in Bucharest for children, but in Romania there is still a need for a center for severe burns in Bucharest and I hope that next year we can start the steps for this big project, which obviously the Minister of Finance knows very well”, said Rogobete.
How the new center at “Marius Nasta” was built
Referring to the inauguration of the new medical center, Alexandru Rogobete explained that the project seemed, in 2022, one of the most difficult in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
At that time, Alexandru Rafila headed the Ministry of Health, and Rogobete was secretary of state and coordinated the projects financed by PNRR.
“We had many files describing the technical project and a plot of land with a building that was about to fall. We were all looking at each other and we didn’t know how we were going to start this project because at the time it seemed like one of the hardest projects in the PNRR,” the minister said.
According to him, the solution came from the mayor of Sector 4, Daniel Băluță, who proposed that the local administration take over the implementation of the project.
“And 3 years later, I can’t believe that we are in the new building for the Institute of Pneumoftisiology in Marius Nasta, the first institute of this kind built after the Revolution,” said Rogobete.
The Minister emphasized that the realization of the project was the result of a collaboration between several institutions and thanked the officials involved, including the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, for prioritizing payments and budgets for the medical system.
Alexandru Rogobete also spoke about the financial difficulties encountered during construction. The minister claimed that the company responsible for the works initially bore a significant part of the costs, given that the payment of invoices was delayed due to measures to reduce the budget deficit.
The official thanked the builder for his patience and said that despite these problems, the project was completed.
The minister also expressed his hope that the authorities will be able to continue investing in the medical infrastructure and will start the construction of other hospitals in Romania.
