Commission on Human Rights
Sixty-First Session

Comments
by H.E. Ambassador Doru Costea
Permanent representative of Romania
on the mission to Romania of the special rapporteur on the right to health

Geneva, 29 March 2005

1. My delegation is grateful to Dr. Paul Hunt for his mission in Romania, for his professional and balanced report and the recommendations that resulted therefrom. My authorities were glad to lend to the Special Rapporteur the assistance he needed and to engage in a mutually useful dialogue. The mission might have contributed to a better understanding by Dr. Hunt and this Commission on the right to health related questions. For the Romanian authorities the mission has contributed to changes of order of some issues on their agendas of priorities. Please rest assured that competent bodies are considering the recommendations made by Dr. Hunt carefully. Additional action will also follow.

2. As a general remark, I would like to emphasise that the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur are, in general, in accordance with the Romanian Government's vision on the extension of the on going programs. Certainly not every progress accomplished is fully reflected in the report, but obviously we recognize the need for the Special Rapporteur to be concise and to focus challenges rather than on achievements.

I have also two more specific comments::

a. On the treatment of persons suffering from TB: the entire medical assistance, investigations, medicines, supervision, are completely free of charge for the entire population. The access at the medical assistance is fully available and free of charge for any person suspected to suffer from TB. The National Program of Tuberculosis Control, as well as the frame-contract regarding the insurance of the medical assistance explicitly mentions that the persons who suffer from TB or who are suspected of suffering from this disease can present themselves at the pneumophtysiology cabinets without a notification from the family physician.
b. On the Roma related issues, I would try to be more specific since we believe that our national experience in this field may be of interest for other countries as well. We assumed four important goals in the a Decade Action Plan for the of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015:

GOAL 1: To implement the National Health Programs in 100% of the Roma communities, with special focus on preventive programs, health promotion, and health of child and family and with the use of health mediators.
GOAL 2: To guarantee the access of 100% of the Roma communities to the primary medical and pharmaceutical services, corresponding to the EU standards, action which requires special emphasis on disadvantaged areas.
GOAL 3: To promote intercultural education among all categories of medical personnel nationwide.
GOAL 4: To facilitate the including in the health insurance system of the Roma which do not meet the current legislative criteria due to objective reasons (lack of identity documents, poverty), by adding the needed legislation.

My authorities are ready to continue the dialogue with the Special Rapporteur in the years to come. Thank you