Ombudsman requests Health Minister clarify methodology of supervision of acute respiratory syndrome due to novel coronavirus

The Ombudsman requested from Minister of Health, Nelu Tataru, clarifications regarding the methodology to supervise the acute respiratory syndrome due to the novel coronavirus now and after May 15. According to the request posted, on Thursday, on the Ombudsman's website, the Health Minister is requested to clarify several aspects, among them how the methodology to supervise the acute respiratory syndrome due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) after the ending of the state of emergency on the territory of Romania, will adapt. The Ombudsman also wants to know if the Ministry of Health (MS) has in view to complete the system to prioritize testing for COVID-19. Furthermore, the Ombudsman wants to be informed which is presently the average duration to release results for the Real Time PCR test and what measures the MS intends to take for its reduction and if there is presently a set of measures for the situation of community transmission of COVID-19. The Ombudsman mentions that disposing the measures necessary in this period, but also following the end of the state of emergency, possibly after May 15, must be in agreement with the constitutional provisions referring to respecting the right to healthcare. In the Ombudsman's opinion, from the presentations done by the competent authorities, including the President of Romania and in comparison with other states, the number of tests is very small, but even in these conditions, there is a rise in the number of persons infected with the novel coronavirus. Furthermore, since the end of march, Romania has gone into the community transmission phase, which means that it does not matter if the person infected was a contact of a person infected with the COVID-19 virus or was in proximity of a persons coming from an area with high risk, the Ombudsman added.AGERPRES(RO - author: Iulia Carciog, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Maria Voican)