Radio România Internațional

Tag: Health Minister

  • Measures to encourage vaccination

    Measures to encourage vaccination

    A little over 5 million Romanians, that is just one quarter of the population, have been fully vaccinated against Sars-Cov-2 since the start of the national vaccination campaign in December 2020. This is a small number, the authorities have admitted, and their campaigns aimed at promoting the benefits of vaccination are far from reaching their goals. Medical staff and experts are equally worried by the small number of vaccinated people, recalling now, at the beginning of 4th wave of the pandemic, the problems that the 3rd wave created in the medical system. The daily number of COVID infections is on the rise, and the authorities hope that, through the new measures, consisting in material compensations, the Romanians appetite for vaccination will increase.



    On Monday, the government adopted an ordinance that provides for food allowances worth one hundred lei (a little over 20 Euros) for those people who get fully vaccinated from now on. In addition, a lottery with cash prizes will be organized for all those who have been vaccinated so far.



    The Health Minister, Ioana Mihăilă, has more: “When the emergency ordinance is published in the Official Gazette, the persons who get fully vaccinated will be able to benefit from meal vouchers. They can pick up these meal vouchers from the center where they got vaccinated, when these vouchers become available. As an additional measure to reward all the people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, a vaccination lottery will be organized consisting in cash prizes for the people who have been fully vaccinated.”



    The PM Florin Cîţu has once again pleaded in favor of vaccination. He believes that the people working in the public system should choose between immunization, which is free of charge, and mandatory periodic testing at their own expense.



    Florin Cîţu: “Given the number of people contaminated with Sars-CoV-2 lately, I believe it is very important to take vaccination seriously, since vaccination is the only solution. I have expressed my opinion related to the staff working for the state institutions and agencies, the defense ministry, the interior ministry, the education and healthcare ministries, namely that they should be either vaccinated or tested weekly. The respective ministries are expected, of course, to come up with proposals, we need to work out solutions”.



    On the other hand, the prime ministers control body will check the situation related to the several hundred false vaccination certificates discovered following a journalistic investigation. More than 370 complaints were referred to the Police regarding the authenticity of some suspicious vaccination certificates. (LS)

  • April 7, 2020

    April 7, 2020


    CORONAVIRUS IN ROMANIA – The death toll for the coronavirus in Romania has reached 182. According to the Group for Strategic Communication, the confirmed number of infected stood at 4,417 people, including 10 babies at a maternity hospital in Timisoara, western Romania. 631 Romanians living abroad have tested positive for coronavirus and 29 have died. In another development, a cargo aircraft arrived in Bucharest from China earlier today, bringing 200,000 ICU protective gowns, 20,000 medical visors and 500,000 pairs of gloves.



    CORONAVIRUS WORLDWIDE – Nearly 1.4 million people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus and over 74,000 have died to the virus. Overall, 277,000 people have recovered. Among the thousands of patients who are now in intensive care is also Great Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose condition deteriorated yesterday. The British official was admitted on Sunday, 10 days after being officially diagnosed as infected with COVID-19. France has reported a record-high daily death toll, 833, taking the total number of deaths to 8,900 since the start of the outbreak. The most affected in Europe remain Italy, with 16,500 deaths and Spain, with 13,500 deaths. The United States remains the most affected country in the world, with close to 11,000 deaths and over 365 thousand infections. China for the first time since the start of the pandemic has reported no fatalities. While most states around the world have extended the period when restrictions remain in place to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic and Denmark announced they would ease restrictions starting April 15.



    REPATRIATION – A group of 92 Romanians has been repatriated on Tuesday morning from Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Ministry reports. The action is part of a series of undertakings to facilitate the repatriation of Romanian nationals living abroad who have been affected by measures adopted in other states in the context of combating the COVID-19 pandemic. 3 Bulgarian citizens were transported during the same flight who then continued their trip to neighboring Bulgaria. The Foreign Ministry has again called on Romanians living or residing abroad to fully comply with the recommendations of local authorities, recommending they avoid travelling to Romania during this period.



    ELECTIONS – The Government has passed an emergency decree extending the term of local officials until December 31. Slated for June, local elections have been postponed due to the coronavirus crisis. Political sources say several variants are being discussed to reschedule the election for September or October. Legislative elections might be held concurrently with local elections or at a closer date. An announcement will be made after consultations with political parties.



    GDP – Romanias GDP went up by 4.1% in 2019 compared to the previous year, standing at some 220 billion euros, the National Statistics Institute reported today. The estimated GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2019 was by 1.5% higher than in the third quarter, and by 4.2% higher than the similar period of 2018. The top growth-driving sectors were constructions, retail and wholesale trade, automobile and motorcycle repair services, transports and storage, the hospitality sector and restaurant services.



    WHD 2020 – Every life saved matters, Health Minister Nelu Tataru said earlier today to mark World Health Day, celebrating the work of medical staff around the world. According to the Romanian official, healthcare personnel has always known how to mobilize and muster up strength when needed. “It is the most difficult 7th of April of recent years, but I am confident that together we will overcome this challenge”, Nelu Tataru went on to say. The Romanian Health Minister says the authorities want to put patients at the core of the healthcare system. Patients are entitled to the latest treatments in the field, the same as those provided everywhere in Europe, while physicians deserve working conditions similar to those ensured in the worlds developed nations, Minister Tataru added.


    (Translated by V. Palcu)


  • The Week in Review, 23-29 May, 2016

    The Week in Review, 23-29 May, 2016

    Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos pays official visit to Washington


    US vice-president Joe Biden received at the White House Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos. The Strategic Partnership between the two countries and economic cooperation were the main topics on the agenda for talks, along with preparing the NATO Summit of Warsaw in July. Joe Biden has reiterated the United States support, both at bilateral and at NATO level, to consolidating security and defense in the Euro-Atlantic area. Prime Minister Ciolos has called on the US to deploy a NATO-led multi-national brigade on Romanias territory in order to strengthen the security of NATOs southeastern flank. Joe Biden highlighted that Romania has been and continues to be a trusted ally and partner of the United States, referring to both countries interest to access the untapped potential for developing the economic cooperation between Romania and the US. Dacian Ciolos also discussed with other Washington officials and with representatives of the US business sector, whom he encouraged to invest in Romania. The Prime Minister also met with members of the Romanian community.



    New Health Minister for Romania


    Ensuring cheap and effective medication in hospitals and reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired infections are among the priorities of the new Health Minister, Vlad Voiculescu. The Romanian official wants to use European funding to build three regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj and Craiova. Vlad Voiculescu also wants to change management contracts, investment plans for hospital laboratories and to improve the Ministrys control mechanisms. All these measures, Vlad Voiculescu argues, are aimed at restoring patients trust in the Romanian healthcare system.



    Negotiations continue between trade unions in the education sector and the Government


    Negotiations between the Romanian Government and trade unions representing the education system continued this week. Previously, the Government had proposed an average increase of 10% in the salaries of the teaching staff, to come into effect starting August 2017. Unionists have rejected the Governments offer regarding the budget allocations to education, which they see as insufficient. Trade unions say that unless an agreement is reached at the forthcoming round of talks, they would stage a rally in Bucharest on June 1. In turn, Labour Minister Dragos Pislaru has announced that the implementation of the Governments ordinance on adjusting the salaries of some 6,000 employees in the education sector starting January 1, 2017 would entail a financial effort worth 800 million lei.



    NATO to focus on the Balkans


    NATO officials plan on focusing on the Balkans at the forthcoming NATO Summit to be hosted by Warsaw in July. NATO Assistant Secretary General Sorin Ducaru says Montenegros NATO accession could create the premises for restoring stability in the region. NATO is currently facing the most complex challenges and risks since the Cold War, coming from the east and the south, Sorin Ducaru added. Romania currently has 690 military deployed in NATO operations abroad.



    Bucharest hosts plenary session of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance


    The working definition of anti-Semitism was adopted at the plenary session of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance hosted by Bucharest between May 23 and 26. Romania is holding the presidency of this Alliance from 2016 to 2017. The 31 member states of the Alliance reconfirmed through this decision their commitment to observing the Stockholm Declaration and to making efforts to fight anti-Semitism. 240 experts and decision makers talked about policies and projects in the field of education, research and Holocaust remembrance from the perspective of their contemporary political relevance.



    Romania does not agree with amending the EU directive on posted workers


    Romania does not agree with the modification of the EU directive on posted workers, the Romanian deputy prime minister and minister of economy and trade, Costin Borc said in Brussels. He pointed out that the Romanian workers should not be discriminated against. The European Commission has proposed the modification of the ceiling for salaries to which posted workers are entitled. The current directive stipulates that posted workers have the right to a minimum salary. 11 EU members have expressed opposition to the modification of the directive. Given the circumstances, the European Commission has to revise its proposal or to withdraw it.



    Cluj is the venue for the Transylvania International Film Festival


    The 15th edition of the Transylvania International Film Festival- TIFF has opened in Cluj Napoca, in western Romania, with the film “6.9 on the Richter scale screened for the first time in the presence of its director, Nae Caranfil. 248 productions will be screened until June 5. For the first time at the TIFF, the film “Dogs, winner of this years critics prize at the Cannes Festival, will be screened. The special guest of the 2016 edition of the TIFF is actress Sophia Loren, who came to Romania for the first time. She will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.