Ooni Koda
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Newsfeed
  4. /
  5. Health minister: Discussion needs to be made in...

Health minister: Discussion needs to be made in Romanian society regarding terminally ill patients' treatment

September 18, 2024

  There is a need for a broader debate in the Romanian society on the treatment of terminally ill patients, the minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, said on Monday, when he left the gov't's venue, after the discussions with prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, when asked about a possible modification of the ICU protocols following the scandal triggered at the Sfantul Pantelimon Emergency Clinical Hospital in Bucharest."It is a broader discussion that needs to be made in the Romanian society, and it refers to the way of treating terminally ill patients. It cannot be done only through an administrative decision, there must be a broad discussion, with professional societies, with patient organizations, and this can be done very well with the support of these international societies (the European Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care and the World Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, editor's note)," Alexandru Rafila said.Asked if the option of interrupting medical treatment in the case of a terminally ill patient would be reached, as is practiced in other states, the minister said that he does not want to speculate."I wouldn't want us to speculate at all. These guides and protocols of good practice must be subject to public debate, and acceptance by society is essential," Rafila added.   Following discussions with Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, the minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, announced on Monday that steps are being taken for an independent professional audit at the Sfantul Pantelimon Emergency Clinical Hospital in Bucharest."We have decided and we have already taken the first steps to be able to contact the European Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, as well as the World Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, so that we can carry out an independent medical professional audit of what happened at Pantelimon Hospital, and the message we want to convey to the public opinion is the one that must restore confidence in the professionals in the health system and finish once and for all with these disputes between the various medical specialties, between the mass media and some of the representatives of the medical body. I am first of all a physician and then I am the minister of Health. I have a responsibility in terms of the credibility of the health system, and everything we do and have done in these two and a half years, starting with investments, continuing with the reform in the field of human resources or health management - all these things were done to give credibility to the health system," Rafila said in a press statement."I don't have a problem ... It's not about my resignation. When I leave the Ministry of Health, I want to leave things in order in terms of all the necessary arguments, so that people have confidence in the health system in Romania," Rafila said.He added that the head of the ICU section at Sfantul Pantelimon Hospital resigned from her position and that a replacement was found inside the medical unit. At the same time, he stressed that the steps for the rehabilitation of some areas of the hospital have begun.  

Read in full - click here
Decarbonization, a new engine of economic competitiveness - Auchan Romania contributes to accelerating the transition of the agri-food chain through the Climate Supplier Event

In the context in which agri-food systems are responsible for almost one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, Auchan Romania assumes an active role in the transition of its supply chain toward a more sustainable model. At the second edition of the Climate Supplier Event, organized under the aegis of the Climate Change Summit, the […]

American blues star Janiva Magness to perform in Romania at Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival 2026

Janiva Magness, the winner of seven Blues Music Awards following 26 nominations, and nominated for a Grammy for a career spanning 17 albums, is set to perform at the 14th edition of the Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place between August 14–16, 2026. Magness is one of the most valuable and influential […]

Engraving created by Francisco Goya and gifted to Romania’s Nicolae Ceaușescu to be auctioned

Auction house Artmark announced a major auction for this winter featuring an engraving created by Francisco Goya, the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Romania's late communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu received this gift from King Juan Carlos I as a gesture of diplomacy. The engraving entitled “The Engagement – Capricho […]

Romania’s Bicaz Gorges–Hășmaș National Park unveils fish ladder system to allow migration

Authorities managing Romania's Bicaz Gorges–Hășmaș National Park has built a fish ladder system on the Bicaz River, which will allow protected species to migrate and reproduce.  There are several bridges and small bridge structures in the Bicaz River that have a “bottom sill,” meaning small waterfalls. Fish that do not jump like the trout cannot […]

Romanian far-right opposition readies no-confidence motion against Ilie Bolojan government

The far-right opposition parties in the Romanian Parliament are set to file a motion of no confidence against the government headed by prime minister Ilie Bolojan. The motion, authored by senator Ninel Peia of the Peace – Romania First group, is specifically aimed at the reformist party Save Romania Union (USR), and is entitled “Romania […]

Romanian rock singer known as “Artan” dead after fatal stroke

Romania's iconic rock singer Adrian Pleșca, known as “Artan,” died on Tuesday, December 2, after a fatal stroke, at the age of 64. The artist founded the well-known band “Timpuri Noi” in 1982 and “Partizan” in 2001, and was popular on the Romanian rock scene. Over the years, he left and returned to the two bands. Several […]