Matei Bals hospital

Another patient who had been admitted to the Matei Bals hospital in a ward ravaged by fire on Friday has died, the Ministry of Health (MS) informed on Tuesday. "The Ministry of Health has been informed of a death among patients who were in ward V of the Matei Bals National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Bucharest during the fire of January 29 this year.

Prosecutor Alexandru Anghel with the Bucharest Tribunal said on Friday evening that it is possible there were two explosions of oxygen cylinders, after a fire broke out at the Matei Bals hospital. Anghel and head of the Bucharest Police Homicide Service Marian Mihoci gave first statements on Friday regarding the conduct of the investigation in this case.

Two nurses and two nursing assistants of the Matei Bals hospital who were on duty at the ward where a fire broke out that killed five patients were questioned on Friday at the Bucharest Police headquarters. According to lawyer for the Matei Bals hospital Constantin Durgeru, the two assistants tried to put out the fire and managed to stop the oxygen supply, avoiding an explosion.

A team of seven specialists with the Petrosani-based National Research and Development Institute for Mining Safety and Explosive Protection (INSEMEX) travelled to Bucharest on Friday to conduct an investigation into a fire that broke out at the Matei Bals hospital.

Prime Minister Florin Citu said on Friday that the shortcomings of the Romanian healthcare system were also reflected in the case of the recent fire tragedy at the Matei Bals hospital, emphasising that there is a need to allocate as many resources as possible for investment. "The shortcomings of the Romanian healthcare system have made their presence felt even today (...) in this tragedy.

Two patients who on Friday were transferred from the Matei Bals Hospital to the Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency University Hospital (SUUMC) are in intensive care, and two more transferred to the ROL2 healthcare facility at Otopeni are in a stable state and burn-free, according to the Defence Ministry (MApN).

At least five people died on Friday in the Matei Bals hospital for infectious diseases in Bucharest, one of the largest medical centres treating COVID-19 patients in Romania.

Over a hundred patients suffering from COVID-19, some of whom were connected to oxygen, were evacuated as a consequence, the Romanian news portal G4Media reported.