Bailiffs have seized the entire patrimony of the Health Ministry regarding the EUR 4m compensations the ministry has to pay in the case of the fire at Giulesti Maternity that killed six newly born babies. The ministry informed it would pay the 4 million euros this year and that it would ask the Finance Ministry to allot the money at the next budgetary rectification.
“Following the discussion with the Health Minister Nicolae Banicioiu we decided to ask the Finance Ministry to allot EUR 4m at the next budgetary rectification in order to pay it to the babies’ parents. There is a distraint upon the ministry’ property, but we will be able to use the patrimony,” secretary of state Alin Tucmeanu said after meeting the bailiffs.
However, the bailiffs said the distraint upon the entire patrimony of the Health Ministry is not actually covering the entire amount of over EUR 4m, but its capitalization won’t be necessary.
“The Health Ministry vowed to get the entire amount following the budgetary rectification. Bucharest City Hall is also joint debtor in this case, so the Ministry can direct toward the City Hall to recover the money,” the bailiff stated.
Initially, the ministry’s spokesperson Oana Grigore, the institution had to pay the twelfth part of the total amount of EUR 4m that the court set as compensation for the families of the babies who died or were injured in the fire. However, the bailiffs summoned the Health ministry to pay the entire sum, according to a different court ruling.
Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled the final sentence in this case on April 2, 2015, five years after the tragedy that claimed six lives and caused severe wounds for other babies.
Nurse Florentina Cirstea was the one who was sentenced to prison. She was on duty at the Intensive Care Unit for new-born that day when the fire burst out. She was convincted to two years and 2 months in jail. The former manager of the maternity, Bogdan Marinescu was sentenced to six months with suspension and the electrician to one year with suspension.
The fire burst on August 16, 2010, around 6 p.m. in the Intensive Care Unit for new born. Nobody was watching the babies at that moment, as the nurse was out although she was supposed to not leave the unit. Three babies died in the fire, with other three dying later on due to the complications. Two pairs of twins- two baby boys and a girl-boy pair and another girl were injured, but eventually were saved by the doctors of “Grigore Alexandrescu” Hospital for Children.