Romania's Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila announced on Monday that Romania will receive from South Korea a donation of medical and IT equipment worth approximately 8 million US dollars, told Agerpres.
"This is equipment for the National Public Health Institute (INSP) and regional public health centres. (...) They have been in Iasi, at the regional public health centres. They have also been here in Bucharest. We currently have all the logistical elements discussed so that this donation, which is worth about 8 million US dollars, may arrive in Romania from the middle of the year until November. It entails a shipment from Korea of very complex equipment for water control, control of tobacco and substances contained in tobacco, surveillance and control of communicable diseases, which means diagnostic and sequencing equipment. All this will arrive at the regional public health centres in Bucharest, Cluj, Iasi, Timisoara and Targu Mures," Rafila told a joint news conference with Korean ambassador in Romania Rim Kap-soo.
According to the minister, Korea's gesture comes in "reciprocation" of Romania's COVID-19 vaccine donation to the country.
"In response to the support given by the government of Romania, the government of the Republic of Korea saw fit to help us with the development of the public health system in Romania. (...) An entire team has come from Korea to determine together the details of this donation. It is very complex in terms of content," Rafila also said.