Ciolos: Money for hospital investments earmarked since February, state's failure dates since long

Co-chairman of the Save Romania Union - Freedom, Unity, and Solidarity Party (USR PLUS) alliance Dacian Ciolos said today that 50 million euros had been earmarked as early as February for short-term investments in hospitals and that initially only seven health facilities applied for funding, whereas currently the number of applications is 30 - 35.

"I don't know the specific situation at the Constanta hospital, which is under the authority of the Mayor's Office as regards the management of infrastructure. What I do know is that in February Ministers Ghinea and Voiculescu mobilized 50 million euros, exactly for short-term investments to fix, correct the problems identified at several hospitals. Financing applications could be submitted. This money was already available in spring, therefore funding applications could be processed from March to August. From what I understand, only seven hospitals in the country applied for funding, and I think there are still 30 - 35 funding applications underway in fall, so beyond the systemic problems, this is probably also a case of recklessness," Ciolos told radio broadcaster Digi FM on Friday.

Dacian Ciolos mentioned that there are arguments in favor of keeping hospitals under the administration of the local governments, but cautioned that this also implies obligations, stressing that management positions in state institutions should not be "political sinecures".

"Given that the mayors and the county councils insisted to have this part of infrastructure under their direct subordination - for them to appoint managers and handle the money that goes through the hospitals - we, at central level, have no guarantee that things are done properly, as most of these hospitals are subordinated to the city halls or county councils. And the answer as to whether we have guarantees or not lies with the local authorities," Ciolos specified.

He also advocated the appointment of hospital managers "on competence, not on political criteria", adding that good managers are needed, capable of logistically managing such an institution, of conducting procurements and ensuring the supply of the facility with everything necessary.

"I remember that in 2016, when our technocratic government introduced this measure, we were criticized for having an issue with doctors, who are very good and whom we allegedly wanted to push aside. The major criterion for being a hospital manager is not being a very good doctor, on the contrary, from my personal point of view, running the hospital logistics would prevent a good doctor from properly doing his job. (...) The political government installed in 2017 removed this measure, so that city halls or county councils could again appoint managers, and you saw last year what these political appointments were like," he said.

As for President Klaus Iohannis's message, who said after the fire at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Constanta, that "today, the Romanian state has failed in its fundamental mission to protect its citizens", Ciolos said the inability of state institutions to fulfill their role dates far longer back.

"The Romanian state's failure is not a matter of today. Remember the case with the teenage girl kidnapped in Caracal. Already back then we were talking about the inability of state institutions to fulfill their role, because the public administration is packed full with politically appointed people," Ciolos said.