Health Minister: Noscomial Infections Not To Blame For Deaths At Bucharest Institute

During a press conference in Cluj-Napoca, the minister defended the Marius Nasta Institute by arguing that associated infections happen throughout the world in such cases and that the most important aspect is for them to be properly reported and their effects minimized.

“At Nasta there was an outbreak. Associated infections happen all around the world, not only in Romania, and it is important to report them, minimize their effects and act to prevent them. These patients who died at Marius Nasta were suffering from multiple conditions and doctors were reserved on their survival chances from the start. Let’s not forget that the hospital receives a lot of cases from all over the country, terminal-stage cases, so we cannot blame the bacteria for killing the patients,” the minister said.

Pintea added however that a total of 18 deaths are investigated by an epidemiologic inquiry at the institute, to see if they were related to the acinetobacter breakout or other nosocomial infections.

“The Health Ministry was aware that major repairs are needed at Marius Nasta. Sporadic repairs were made. We need to separate the pulmonology ward from the tuberculosis one. I am of the opinion that we need a new and separate hospital,” the minister added.

Three people confirmed with the infection have died in the past two weeks at the institute, while three other suspected cases were identified, with one of them, a woman, currently in critical state.

The Bucharest Public Health Directorate decided on Tuesday to halt all surgical activities in the hospital and temporarily close its ICU ward, due to non-standard results of nosocomial infection analyses.

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