Bucharest mayor Gabriela Firea, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem counterparts discuss health care partnership

Bucharest general mayor Gabriela Firea discussed with Tel Aviv and Jerusalem counterparts Ron Huldai and Nir Barkat, respectively, a tentative partnership in health care and emergencies. 

According to a Bucharest City Hall release, Gabriela Firea was on an official visit to Israel at the invitation of her two peer mayors. 

During the talks, the Bucharest mayor expressed the desire for the parties to cooperate in several areas such as health care, emergencies, tourism, social assistance for the elderly, the building of housing, start-ups, supporting Romanian and Israeli investors. 

"We are highly interested in concluding a health care partnership. This partnership could involve taking over best practices, refresher stints for Romanian doctors, experience exchanges," said the mayor. 

Evoking the meetings she had with Israeli officials - the Minister of Health included - on the occasion of a trip to this country early this year, Firea said that right back then she had been taken with the ambition to make it possible for Bucharesters to have access to modern and efficient treatments just like the citizens of Israel. 

Firea said that the Bucharest City Hall has 19 hospitals under its authority. "At my proposal, the General Council approved in September the implementation of the most ambitious investment program ever carried out in the capital of Romania: over 30 million euro have been assign to the budget of the Hospitals Administration. This money is intended for the acquisition of performing equipment, to ensure top-notch treatments for Romanian patients,'' said the mayor. 

She also expressed interest in the parties joining efforts in pediatric care, mentioning that as she had learned during the election campaign for mayor of the situation of two very important Bucharest hospitals where construction or rehabilitation works had been dragging on for long, after taking office she "inquired weekly about the situation of the works, had multiple meetings with all the parties involved, contractors and consultants. Thanks to these efforts, works at the Gomoiu hospital will be completed at the end of the year, making it the largest and top modern children's hospital in Romania. I also hope that the Foisor Orthopaedic Hospital is completed in the shortest possible time," said Gabriela Firea, who also presented the project of the Regional Hospital. 

In his turn Ron Huldai told Firea that Tel Aviv is ready to share with the Bucharest administration information about the Israeli health system. "We know that Romanian doctors are extremely well trained and therefore the exchange of experience you suggest can only benefit both parties," he said. 

The two officials also discussed cooperation in the management of emergencies, with Firea presenting Ron Huldai data about the Bucharest City Hall Center for the Management of Emergencies. "The City Hall invested nearly 30 million euro to build and equip the center with IT and communications equipment," said Firea. 

She also reminded that the General Council of the Bucharest City Hall approved the establishment of 13 new fire stations, for better coverage of the city and for cutting intervention time. 

Speaking of quake-prone buildings, Firea mentioned the establishment of the Municipal Administration for the Reinforcement of Quake-prone Buildings. AGERPRES