The government adopted on Tuesday, February the 4th, this year, the Emergency Ordinance on Emergency Medical Supplies, as well as some measures related to the establishment of the quarantine that creates the legal framework and the necessary mechanisms to improve the authorities’ capability to properly handle the emergency situations generated by the epidemics, such as infections with the new Coronavirus, and other events generating multiple victims.
Emergency medical supplies are constituted as material reserves, designed for actions to protect the population in emergency situations generated by the type of epidemics threat and other events generating multiple victims.
The establishment and management of emergency medical supplies is ensured by the Department of Emergency Situations within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, on the basis of the Nomenclature of medical emergency supplies.
The nomenclature, the methodology of use, removal, free use, refurbishment and rebuilding of these stocks of supplies are approved by common order of the Minister of Internal Affairs and of the Minister of Health, at the proposal of the Group of technical-scientific support for the management of highly contagious diseases in Romania.
Among the categories of products of emergency medical supplies, of strict necessity stipulated in the Annex to the emergency ordinance adopted yesterday are: protective equipment of medical personnel, isolation rooms with negative pressure, isolators with negative pressure for transport on the trolley, filters for the rooms existing negative pressure insulation, disinfectants, thermal scanners.
The purchasing of products for the accumulation, rebuilding and refurbishment of medical emergency stocks is made according to the legal provisions regarding public procurement. The National Office for Centralized Procurement is subordinated to the Ministry of Public Finance as an authorized institution for organizing and carrying out the award procedures, in order to conclude framework agreements, in accordance with the public procurement law:
- a) whenever necessary, to cover the needs contained in the List of products of emergency medical stocks;
- b) until the maximum level is reached, to cover the needs of medical emergency products, including thermal scanners, provided in the Annex, as a matter urgency, through the negotiation procedure without prior publication.
The Department for Emergency Situations within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, and the Ministry of Health provide the needed issues to the National Office for Centralized Procurement, the estimated value for each product separately, the technical specifications and the specialists who will provide technical support throughout the period of organization and conduct of the award procedures, as well as the persons who will be part of the evaluation committees.
The products can be taken out of emergency medical supplies or given for free use in the following situations:
- a) potential danger, imminence of the threat or occurrence of an epidemics/ pandemics or other events generating multiple victims in the national territory;
- b) establishing the state of emergency for public health at international level;
- c) activities of specialized training and training of the personnel involved in prevention and response actions, organized at national or international level, in the field of emergency medical assistance;
- d) the operative intervention through the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
In case of epidemics / pandemics or international public health emergenciy situations declared by the WHO, the Minister of Health establishes quarantine for persons entering the territory of Romania from the affected areas, as a measure to prevent and limit the diseases. at the proposal of the expert group of the Ministry of Health, if there is an imminent threat to public health.
The coordination and implementation of the measures to prevent and limit the events declared emergency of public international health are carried out by the specialized structures of the INSP and of the public health departments of the county and / or of the Municipality of Bucharest by providing the 24/7 permanent service, through guard service or home calls, as appropriate.
The epidemiological triage from the border crossing points is ensured by the public health departments of the county and / or of the Municipality of Bucharest through its own staff or through delegated / detached personnel from other health units.
Quarantine expenses relating to providing or taking measures to provide travelers with food and water quarantined in sufficient quantity, adequate accommodation and clothing, protection of their luggage and other personal issues, the means of communication required if possible in a language to understand and any other appropriate support is provided or settled, as the case may be, from the budget of the Ministry of Health.
The expenses relating to the Romanian citizens quarantined in the territory of other states, as well as the expenses necessary to cover their transport from the affected states on the national territory, are deducted from the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
