Raed Arafat says that Romania also resorted to NATO mechanism for immunoglobulin

Secretary of state with the Ministry of Interior (MAI) Raed Arafat told AGERPRES on Monday evening that Romania also resorted to the NATO mechanism for immunoglobulin, at the same time with the European Mechanism for Civil Protection.

"I have received the address from Mrs. Minister just now, so that we will follow exactly the official steps. And first of all the IGSU (the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations), which is the contact point for such mechanism, will send our request, while also explaining that we are going to support the costs and the transportation costs through UNIFARM. The only problem that we have is that we need to identify the necessary stock for us, to buy it and then immediately bring it in Romania. The countries that identify such stocks will contact us and they will deliver the stocks to us," explains Raed Arafar, in an interview with Antena 3 private television channel.

He also said that, in what immunoglobulin is concerned, the issue could also be about some kind of pressure of the companies on the Ministry of Health to set the price. "You know very well that there were many talks with the companies that import or produce immunoglobulin that led to no conclusion. In the end, we must admit that this is also some kind of pressure of the companies on the Ministry of Health to set a price or another," said the MAI secretary of state.

Raed Arafat claimed that he knew about the intention of the Minister of Health Sorina Pintea to trigger the European mechanism. " I knew about her intention, if she doesn't manage to settle this matter as soon as possible with the companies that import or produce this medicine, to trigger the European mechanism and not only, added the DSU head.

The Minister of Health on Monday evening informed in a release to AGERPRES that, considering the discontinuities that appeared starting last year in the supply with human immunoglobulin, she took the decision to trigger the European Mechanism of Civil Protection. The decision was approved by the Romanian Prime Minister.

According to the release, triggering this mechanism is done based on the Decision 1313/2013 of the Parliament and European Council, with a view to ensuring the necessary quantity of immunoglobulin for the treatment of Romanian patients.

"The discontinuities in supply with immunoglobulin were generated by the forceful withdrawal from the market of the producers who ensured 80% of this necessary. Despite the efforts made by the Ministry of Health in 2017, including through the elimination of the clawback tax for immunoglobulin through the adoption by thy Romanian Government of the GE) 100/2017 on the completion of the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 77/2001 regarding the establishment of contributions to financing some expenditures in the healthcare field for the payment of the quarterly contribution of medicines derived from human plasm, continue now the immunglobulin crisis on the Romanian market, with a vital impact on the life of diagnosed patients with primary immunodeficiencies, autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases," reads the release.