Premium
MEP Corina Cretu said on Friday that important healthcare investments have been made in Romania on European funds, but, unfortunately, the objective under Operational Programme Regional Development (ROP) for the construction of three regional emergency hospitals is much delayed.
"Unfortunately, the objective of Operational Programme Regional Development, Priority Axis 14 - the construction of three regional emergency hospitals in less developed regions (Iasi, Craiova, Cluj-Napoca), in order to provide access to improved healthcare services to over 270,000 people by 2023 is much delayed. At the time of signing this programme, then Prime Minister Victor Ponta said that the construction of the three regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj and Craiova was a priority objective of the Romanian government. Then, over the years, we raised numerous alarms over the incomprehensible delay in achieving those goals," Cretu wrote in a social media post.
She added that when she left the position of European commissioner, all the documentation for regional hospitals had been completed.
"At the request of the Romanian government in 2019, the European Commission approved phasing in these projects, their actual implementation from the 2021-2027 budget. After the establishment of the locations by the Romanian governments, in 2018 we conducted feasibility studies with the European Investment Bank. Since then, things have stalled. The Romanian government at that time made a request to the European Commission in 2019 that the amounts for the construction of hospitals be moved for the financial year 2021-2027. I approved the request half-heartedly, because in 2015, when I signed for the three hospitals, I hoped to participate in the inauguration by the end of my tenure. Mr Rafila soon said that work would start by the middle of this year. As far as I know, Iasi is the most advanced."
Cretu also said that there are three regional hospitals with about 900-1,000 beds each, which will serve Moldavia, Transylvania and Oltenia.
There are now additional resources under the Recovery and Resilience Facility and that, on a budget of EUR 5.3 billion for 2021-2027, the EU Health Programme provides unprecedented financial support for such investments.
She said that in recent years she warned that healthcare has become one of the great priorities of European citizens and that she regrets that the alarms have not been taken more seriously by Romania.
