An oncological radiotherapy centre was inaugurated at the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital on Tuesday, being equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and modern treatment techniques.

On Tuesday, the 'Expansion of the Oncology Department with an Oncological Radiotherapy Unit' project within the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital was officially inaugurated.

'It is an energy-independent building. (...) Everything here operates independently from the hospital. (...) In terms of surface area, it covers 1,500 square metres. Everything is underground. Here we complete the therapeutic chain with radiotherapy. (...) You will see two latest-generation linear accelerators providing 3D radiotherapy, VMAT or IMRT radiotherapy, which are modern radiotherapy techniques. What is important to say is that this will be the first public centre, the first public hospital, to provide stereotactic radiotherapy. At present, no hospital in Romania offers this, as it has been the preserve of the private sector. Brachytherapy will also be performed here, which is useful in certain types of cancer. (...) I can tell you that it is more beautiful and more useful than in other major hospitals in Europe. You will see patient areas, SPA-type spaces, intensive care and care facilities,' said hospital manager Catalin Carstoiu.

He explained that the centre will become operational within a maximum of two months.

'From today we will begin commissioning the equipment, meaning its handover to the team, and obtaining approval from the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control, so that within a maximum of two months the centre will be functional. In parallel, we have opened positions for recruitment. It is very difficult to recruit people to work here. A university clinic has been established, the department is a clinical one. We have a university clinic here that will both provide and teach radiotherapy to students and residents, hoping to retain them here,' the manager added.

According to him, the centre is also equipped with a CT scanner used for pre-radiotherapy simulation, as well as an MRI scanner that will be used for post-radiotherapy monitoring.

At the same time, the doctor said that the radiotherapy techniques used will be extremely modern and very precisely adapted to the type of cancer.

In turn, Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete said that the centre at the Bucharest University Emergency Hospital is the 13th radiotherapy centre in the public system to be completed over the past three years.

'Twelve were designed, financed, completed and put into operation through a World Bank project, and this is the 13th, financed exclusively from the state budget. (...) I can only congratulate you and find that the national oncology treatment network is expanding, which is extremely important. Through the Ministry of Health and the World Bank, we are trying to upgrade the other 12 radiotherapy units in the country built in recent years for stereotactic procedures, precisely because it is important to raise the level of therapeutic complexity as high as possible,' the minister said. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Roberto Stan; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)