Romanian authorities have taken over a private hospital in the northwest city of Cluj to treat patients who are infected with COVID-19, News.ro reported.
The Cluj County Council said it was using the Polaris Hospital which could treat 180 patients “who will benefit from optimum conditions.”
Romania had 576 cases of people with COVID-19 on Monday. Eight people have died.
President Klaus Iohannis decreed a 30-day state of emergency on March 16 which allows authorities to take control of private facilities to help them fight the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
County council chairman Alin Tise said the move to commandeer a private healthcare facility was a premier in Romania and the hospital “has superior conditions for isolation and treatment.” The council will fund the treatment. The hospital is in the village of Suceagu, which is close to Cluj.
Romania’s underfunded healthcare system will struggle to cope with the crisis if numbers of infections rise significantly, experts say. Medics warn they do not enough equipment, such as hazmat suits and respiratory units.
The Suceava County Hospital, one of the largest facilities in northern Romania, will close for disinfection after 52 doctors and nurses there tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Two deaths were reported at the hospital, likely because they caught the virus at the hospital.
