About 900 children with tuberculosis throughout the country have waited three weeks to be treated with these medicines.
The treatment arrived from India, as a donation, was stuck in customs because the authorities wanted to check if the drugs were safe or not, although the donation came from the World Health Organization.
The National Medicines Agency has released the drugs immediately after the case was presented by Antena 3
Bureaucracy has left 900 sick children without treatment. Authorities say the law does not allow the importation of drugs from outside Europe.
Immediately after the issue was made public on Antena 3, the National Medicines Agency suddenly signed the documents showing that the drugs were safe.
In Romania, children with TB are treated with drugs for adults.
Monday, drugs will be released from customs after standing there for nearly 3 weeks since January 5.
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Initial news 16.02
World Health Organization (WHO) has sent Romania a donation of medicines to help cure 900 children suffering from tuberculosis.
Given that in our country, children with TB are treated with drugs for adults which are crushed be swallowed easier, this donation has been waiting in customs for two weeks.
We started this project with WHO since 2013. The procedure is very cumbersome and medicines transport has left for Romania since October. On January 5, we received notice from customs to raise these drugs. These drugs do not exist in Romania. (...) It is a very difficult procedure because the order of minister did not provide that drugs arriving from outside the European community can be received and distributed in the country. These medications are manufactured in India and imported by WHO, "said Mrs. Gilda Popescu, National TB Program Coordinator