Ombudsman calls for urgent regulation of admissions, surgeries at COVID-19 support hospitals

The Ombudsman announced on Friday having requested the Ministry of Health to urgently regulate the situation of admissions to and surgeries at COVID-19 support hospitals. She says in a press statement that she received several petitions from patients, their relatives, and also from patients' organisations voicing dissatisfaction with the ban on access to hospitals for complex medical procedures that can only be performed at such health facilities. The Ombudsman also mentions having taken steps on May 13, telling back then to the Ministry of Health that it is no longer justified to restrict patients' access to hospitals designated as COVID-19 support hospitals, as there are several patients with chronic diseases whose emergency condition is imperious and requires complex medical procedures that can only be performed in a hospital setting. "Although the publication of Order 961 of May 29, 2020 stipulates that, after the cessation of the state of emergency, depending on the local epidemiological developments, hospitalisations and scheduled surgeries can be resumed, as well as outpatient activity, the current situation remains unchanged at many such facilities, which leads to the worsening of the health of many people and even to the loss of human lives. Given the circumstances, the Ombudsman has issued a recommendation calling on the Ministry of Health to urgently issue a circular to all COVID-19 support hospitals telling them that they have to resume hospitalisations and scheduled surgical interventions, as well as activity in the outpatient clinics, in safe conditions, thus observing the right to the protection of the patients' health," the statement also reads. AGERPRES (RO - author: Iulia Carciog, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)