The minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, announced on Tuesday that approximately 1,000 medical staff have volunteered to go to Turkey to help the victims of the February 6 earthquakes, but, so far, they have not there haven't been any requests from the Turkish authorities, which is why the enlistment process will be stopped, told Agerpres.
"Approximately 1,000 medical personnel have signed up, (...) various specialties, both physicians and nurses. The Secretary of State responsible for medical assistance has constantly checked these lists so that we can be able to build medical teams that can move in the field and be operative from the point of view of specialties, namely teams that have surgeons, have anesthetists, etc. We are in contact with the Turkish Embassy in Romania and the agreement with them was that these teams be prepared, if it can be said that way, but only in the event of a request by the Turkish authorities, who must also ensure logistical support and what must not be excluded in any way - the safety of these teams," said Rafila, at the Palace of the Parliament.
He mentioned that, until now, the Turkish authorities have not sent such requests.
"I don't think that this enrollment process will continue to be necessary, we will stop it, but the possibility to travel exists, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, we have also made an inventory of the possibility of admitting patients with polytrauma in the hospitals in Romania. We received from our colleagues at the emergency hospitals in Bucharest - several dozen people who are polytraumatized can be treated in Romania. It depends on the request of the Turkish authorities. We have not had any requests," explained the Health minister.
Alexandru Rafila mentioned, at the same time, that sanitary materials are being collected at Unifarm, especially medicines, which are donated by various pharmaceutical companies. "We will organize a transport as soon as possible. We have contacted the Romanian ambassador in Damascus. We will organize a transport of these materials as soon as possible. There are significant quantities of medicines. Three manufacturers from Romania have agreed to donate medicines," explained the minister.