Crisis at the main emergency hospital in Romania

The National Authority of Quality Management in Health has suspended the accreditation of Floreasca Hospital in Bucharest, the largest emergency hospital in the country

Roxana Vasile, 31.12.2019, 13:11

A piece of
information made public on Monday by the National Authority of Quality
Management in Health caused panic among Bucharesters and not only: Floreasca
Hospital, the largest emergency hospital in Romania, had its accreditation
suspended. The measure was taken because the hospital failed to report within
24 hours an incident in which a 66-year old patient suffered severe burns while
on the operating table, on December 22. The woman, who was suffering from
cancer, got severe burns over 40% of her body and died a week later. The woman
suffered third degree burns after surgeons used an electrosurgical instrument
in combination with a disinfectant which should not have been used for that
procedure.

The Homicide Department of the Romanian Police is conducting an
investigation for manslaughter. The Physicians’ College too is carrying out an
investigation, and the Health Ministry’s Control Corps is conducting
verifications, and the conclusions are to be reported early next week.

The line
minister Victor Costache has stated that the preliminary report indicates lots
of serious irregularities:

There are standard protocols which have not been observed. That was an
extremely serious incident, which should have been reported immediately. Fortunately,
such events are extremely rare.

In the meantime,
against fears that with its accreditation suspended, Floreasca Hospital would
not be able to function or conclude contracts with the National Health
Insurance House, which would mean patients would have to pay for medical care, the health-care
authorities have tried to calm the population and have announced that the
suspension is just an administrative measure, which does not affect the
functioning of the hospital or the contract with the Health Insurance House. The
hospital manager has five days to come up with a plan aimed at remedying the
situation. Then, after a visit by experts from the National Authority of
Quality Management in Health, a decision will be made with regard to the
sanction.

The incident is
not a stigma on the frontiscipice of Floreasca Hospital, the State Secretary Horatiu Moldovan has stated,
who has also said that the doctors’ professionalism has never been doubted.
Floreasca remains the same elite hospital, where the best specialists cover
emergencies 24 hours a day, and patients should know they are safe. However,
the causes of that dramatic incident must be carefully analyzed, in order to
make sure something like than never happens in the future.