Criminal complaint on the blocked health card. Minister: Problems due to excessive red tape. PM, set to sack CNAS head

Health minister Sorin Pintea has announced on Monday that the deadlock within the healthcare system that has been going on for weeks, as the health cards are not functioning, is a criminal matter and that she would send prosecutors the reports to check on the incidents and to decide who is to blame.

The minister warned that essential components of the health insurance system has been left without maintenance and that, in her view, the problems are caused by the excessive red tape.

The minister has told a press conference today that she had discovered suspicions and that the report to concluded the investigation will be sent to the National Anti-corruption Directorate. She mentioned delays of procedures and the excessive red tape that prevented the acquisition procedures from being concluded.

An emergency acquisition has been done for the database contract had expired.

At the same time, Health minister apologized for the problems patients and doctors encountered due to the blockage of the health card. “Although the National Health Insurance House (CNAS) is not under the Health Ministry’s authority, I apologize on its behalf,” Sorina Pintea said.

PM Viorica Dăncilă has also warned that if CNAS president,Răzvan Vulcănescu is not resigning, she will dismiss him on Tuesday. The premier said she had asked the Health minister for a new proposal for the CNAS helm.

CNAS spokesperson, Daniel Osmanovici, resigned several days after the prime minister had called on him to step down following controversial statements. Osmanovici had said that “people will die anyway, with or without the health insurance electronic system”.

The health card computer system has been blocked for more than two weeks. CNAS announced on July 10 that the system is not available and that all medical services, medical devices and medicines are granted offline.