DSU's Arafat: ISU and SMURD vehicles to ensure high-risk missions

Head of the Emergency Situations Department Raed Arafat stated on Friday that the Inspectorate for Emergency Situation (ISU) and Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication (SMURD) vehicles will ensure the high-risk missions.

The statement has been made in the context in which the ambulance team in Gorj seems to have refused, the other day, to transport the team of epidemiologists from the Public Health Directorate (DS) to collect a sample from a patient suspected of being infected with COVID-19.

"Today, it will also be approved in the National Emergency Situations Committee: the ambulance services will provide type A ambulances to transport the samples and support the Public Health Directorates. There is no time for anyone to come and refuse or say 'I won't go' or 'I won't carry out my mission'. We are all in a system which has risks, we are exposed, we ensure the personnel protection, but we don't have time for such attitudes. If they have issues, the door is open, they should come and say what are the issues and we can solve them. There is no reason, from our point of view, not to carry out the respective mission. High-risk missions or their transportation is ensured by ISU, SMURD vehicles, most of the victims, because there, the medical cabin is separated from the driver's," Arafat said, at the Interior Ministry (MAI) headquarters.

Referring to an Italian citizen who traveled with "patient zero" in the plane, namely the 71-year-old Italian infected with COVID-19, who came to Craiova, Raed Arafat said that the first one is not confirmed as COVID-19 positive after being testing.

"He is in isolation at home in Italy or in quarantine at home in Italy," the DSU head showed.