HeathMin Pintea: Non-compliant biocides have been used in over 30 hospitals

The hospital disinfectants which didn't meet the appropriate standards and regarding which a criminal case was opened had been used in over 30 hospitals around the country, Healthcare Minister Sorina Pintea stated on Tuesday. She explained that, after irregularities were found in certain biocides "with fungal action, not for bacteria," their withdrawal was ordered and the Healthcare Ministry filed a complaint. According to the Minister, the patients of those hospitals weren't in danger. The respective companies were fined 35,000 lei and when Healthcare Ministry representatives tried to get in contact with the company administrators, they couldn't be reached, Pintea added. On Tuesday, the Economic Criminality Investigation Directorate conducted five searches in Bucharest, Ilfov and Prahova counties, at the residences of some individuals, as well as at the registered office and place of business of some companies which produce, import and trade biocidal products. "The action takes place in a criminal case in which investigations are conducted regarding the offenses of fraud, forgery of documents under private signature, hindering disease treatment and trading altered products," a release of the General Inspectorate of Romanian Police (IGPR) sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday informs. The investigations revealed that in 2018, biocidal products would have been produced and traded to various hospital units around national territory, which were used to sanitize the surfaces that didn't meet the performance standards in destroying bacteria. AGERPRES (RO - author: R, editor: M; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)