Health Minister Alexandru Rafila spent about two months of his mandate as Minister of Health on foreign visits – official visits and working visits. Following the model of President Klaus Iohannis, the institution under the leadership of Alexandrou Rafil also refuses to disclose the cost of these trips and refers to a government decision that establishes a legal framework for them.

How much did Rafila’s travels cost? The answer of the Ministry of Health: “According to GD no. 518/1995”

Since Alexandra Rafila was widely talked about in the public space as a “walking” minister, HotNews.ro asked the Ministry of Health, on the basis of Law 544/2001 on access to information of public interest, to provide a complete list of trips outside the country – official visits and working visits – carried out by Rafila between the date of acceptance of the mandate (November 25, 2021) and the date of HotNews.ro’s request (May 3, 2023), as well as the composition of the delegations and the full cost of these trips.

The institution headed by Aleksandra Rafila decided to inform HotNews.ro of the list of trips, but not their cost, which, according to him, “according to HG No. 518/1995”.

The data published by HotNews.ro in this article, provided by the Ministry of Health, covers the entire period from the first day of Aleksandr Rafil’s mandate until May 3 (the request was submitted on May 3, and then the response of the Ministry of Health was awaited). Health).

Basically, we are talking about a period of a little more than a year and 5 months, of which the Minister of Health devoted about two months to foreign trips – a total of 18 visits.

GD No. 518/1995 (regarding certain rights and obligations of Romanian personnel sent abroad to perform temporary missions), on the basis of which travel expenses were distributed, practically establishes the legal basis for per diems, travel allowances, the cost of international transport, compensation for accommodation or various protocol expenses (within 1000 euros). However, from a simple consultation of HG 518/1995, travel expenses, which may be variable, do not appear.

It should also be noted that, according to HotNews.ro sources from the Ministry of Health, expenses for foreign trips are limited to a certain limit each month.

A complete list of foreign visits, from Cuba to Israel

The complete list of foreign trips of the Minister of Health Alexandru Rafila from the beginning of his mandate (November 25, 2021) to May 3, 2023 (source: Ministry of Health for HotNews.ro):

• 1. Meeting of Ministers of Health of the European Union (EPSCO)

• Country: Belgium

Period: December 6-7, 2021

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

international transportation – reimbursed by the Council of the European Union

Companion:-

Associated costs: –

• 2. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health of Romania and the Ministry of Health of the Italian Republic in the field of health care

• Country: Italy

Period: February 3 – 5, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Companion: head of office

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

• 3. Conference of Ministers on Global Health and meeting of the Informal Council of Ministers of Health

• Country: France – French Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Period: February 9-11, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Accommodation is at the expense of the organizers

Accompanying: senior adviser

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

accommodation – paid by the organizers

• 4. Official visit of the delegation of the Ministry of Health

• Country: Israel

Period: March 2 – 5, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Accompanying: Director of the Cabinet of Ministers and personal adviser

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

Alexander Rafila during a one-week visit to Cuba last fall / Photo source: Embassy of Romania in Havana

• 5. High-level meeting on health care and migration in the WHO region

• Country: Turkey

Period: March 16-19, 2022

Expenses: expenses incurred by the organizers

Accompanying: senior adviser

Accompanying expenses: Expenses are borne by the organizers

• 6. Conference of Ministers

• Country: France – French Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Period: May 11 – 13, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Companion:-

Associated costs: –

• 7. Meeting of Ministers of Health of the European Union (EPSCO)

• Country: Luxembourg

Period: June 13-14, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

– reimburses the Council of the European Union (the Ministry of Health does not specify in the answer, but most likely it is about transport – ed.)

Accompanying: senior adviser

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

• 8. Meeting with Ms. Stella Kyriakides – European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety

• Country: Belgium

Period: June 26-27, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Accompanying: doctor

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

• 9. Visit to hospitals San Donato, Bambino Gesu – partnership of children’s cardiovascular surgery

• Country: Italy

Period: August 18 – 22, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Companion:-

Associated costs: –

• 10. Informal meeting of ministers of health care of the countries of the European Union

• Country: Czech Republic

Period: September 4 – 8, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Companion: personal adviser to the Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

• 11. 72nd session of the European Regional Committee of the World Health Organization

• Country: Israel

Period: September 11 – 14, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Accompanying persons: State Secretary and Director of the Cabinet of Ministers

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

• 12. International conference on health care “Cuba Salud 2022”. Signing of the Memorandum on the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Republic of Cuba in the field of health care

• Country: Cuba

Period: October 15 – 23, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Companion: personal adviser to the Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

• 13. Joint meeting of the Governments of Romania and Spain under the leadership of Mr. Nicolae-Lonel CIUCI, Prime Minister of Romania and Mr. Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejon, President of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain

• Country: Spain

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Health of Romania and Spain in the field of health care

Period: November 23, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

International transportation – Government of Romania

Accompanied by: the director of the Cabinet of Ministers

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

international transportation – Government of Romania

• 14. HERA Annual Conference and Meeting of Ministers of Health of the European Union (EPSCO)

• Country: Belgium

Period: December 7-9, 2022

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

international transportation – reimbursed by the Council of the European Union

Support: chief manager + doctor

Cost of satellites: see HG no. 518/1995

international transportation – reimbursed by the Council of the European Union

• 15. Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Health of Romania and the Minister of Health and Prevention of the French Republic in the field of health care

• Country: France

Period: January 25 – 28, 2023

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Accompanying person: personal consultant + doctor

Cost of satellites: see HG no. 518/1995

• 16. Working visit from Madrid. Further actions after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Health of Romania and Spain in the field of health care dated November 23, 2022.

• Country: Spain

Period: February 5 – 8, 2023

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

Accompanied by: the director of the Cabinet of Ministers

Accompanying expenses: see HG no. 518/1995

• 17. Meeting of Ministers of Health of the European Union (EPSCO)

• Country: Belgium

Period: March 13-14, 2023

Costs: see HG no. 518/1995

international transportation – reimbursed by the Council of the European Union

Companions: State Secretary and Director of the Minister’s Office

Cost of satellites: see HG no. 518/1995

international transportation – reimbursed by the Council of the European Union

• 18. 5th Global Forum on Human Resources in the Healthcare Sector

• Country: Switzerland

Period: April 3-5, 2023

Expenses: all expenses are covered by the organizers

Accompaniers: head of service and adviser to the Cabinet of Ministers

The cost of accompanying persons: all costs are covered by the organizers

Previous Iohannis

The Ministry of Health’s refusal to release Minister Rafila’s travel expenses is reminiscent of the case of President Klaus Iohannis, who was heavily criticized in early March for chartering a luxury jet for a visit to Japan and Singapore. The plane also made a stopover in Sibiu.

President Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen Iohannis

Regarding the trip of President Klaus Iohannis to Japan on a private plane, the President’s Administration issued a terse statement in which it said that according to Government Decision no. 755/1998, details of the flight, its cost and route are classified.