Update: Another case of fake physician, woman doctor has been working with Ilfov Hospital for 10 years! Health Ministry, officials confirm

Another case of fake physician in Romania has been revealed. A 30-year old woman has forged the MD diploma and has been working for 10 years as gynecologist with the Ilfov Emergency Hospital.

Unlike Italian Matteo Politi, the so-called Doctor Raluca Daniela Birsan has no seal from the Public Health Directorate, according to ‘Libertatea’ newspaper. The paper posts on its website filmed features with Birsan in the operation room, closing up on a patient. Birsan said: “I was only taking care of the instruments.”

She works with the Ilfov Emergency Hospital in Bucharest, having a grossly falsified diploma, without the seal from the Public Health Inspectorate and no opinion from the College of Doctors, but – according to reports – has been under the protection of the hospital management. Raluca Daniela Brisan has been working with patients for over a decade.

Asked about the medical studies, Raluca Daniela Birsan claims she graduated the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2013 and has handed to the newspaper a diploma on her name.

Health Minister says contract was concluded illegally

Health Minister Sorina Pintea said on Tuesday that the person has not graduated the Medicine and is not resident, as she claims. Furthermore, the young woman has an illegal contract, ziare.com reports.

In a press conference, Minister Pintea said she found out about this case Tuesday morning, although the situation was known for some time by the staff of Ilfov Hospital.

“The document she presents is a forgery. She has never been on the list of residents and has no contract signed with a hospital. Following talks with UMF, the diploma is also a fake. The issue of the volunteering contract is another issue, but since 2014 the contracts with hospitals are illegal. The contracts are now concluded between the hospital and an NGO, such as the Red Cross, let’s say. The contract is signed by a legal adviser who probably was not aware of Law 78/2014 which regulates the volunteering,” Minister Pintea said.

Officials confirm

The Dean of the ‘Carol Davila’ University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Catalin Cirstoiu, says “she is not our graduate, the diploma looks like a forgery considering several issues.”

The President of the College of Doctors Gheorghe Borcean has confirmed for digi24.ro that Raluca Daniela Birsan is not included in the data base, adding that she should have been registered as physician, but also as volunteer.

“This morning checks were conducted in the data base the College of Doctors in Romania has and she is not included. Even as volunteer, she should have been registered in order to sign with the hospital a contract for volunteering,” Borcean said.

Last week, referring to the case of Matteo Politi, Health Minister Sorina Pintea said such a case could not happen in the state system. Asked who is responsible in the case of Politi, the minister said that “the employer is responsible first of all, he is bound to check all the documents. I assure you that such things could not take place in the health public system.”

Matteo Politi, the Italian who graduated only 8 grades and impersonated a physician, performing plastic surgery in Romania, was remanded for 30 days last week. He had been caught at Curtici customs, trying to flee from Romania.

Politi, aka Matthew Mode, is charged with fraud. His lawyer claims the graduating diploma issued by the Medicine University in Pristina has been attested by the Education Ministry.

The Italian received the seal code from the Medical Bureau for Information and Bio-statistics on March 23, 2018. The employee who issued the document has been disciplinary transferred until the investigation is completed, the Public Health Directorate informs.

In a close development, lawyer Monica Cercelescu, Communication Director with the National Guild of Bars, has told Europa FM last Friday that Matteo Politi was helped by a fake lawyer.