On 3 February 2023, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Romania, His Excellency Kap-soo Rim; Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, Dr Tiberius Marius Brădățan; and representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Romania; visited a distribution warehouse in Bucharest to mark the official handover of medical equipment from the IOM to the Government of Romania.

With funding provided by the Government of the Republic of Korea, IOM Romania procured 500 medical devices, which had been specifically requested to meet the needs of the Romanian Ministry of Health – and was facilitated through the office of the Counsellor of State, Maria Mădălina Turza.

Following the event, the 500 medical devices will now be distributed to 37 hospitals in 14 counties across Romania. Specifically, the equipment consists of 250 Biolight P500 injection pumps, and 250 Biolight M800 Handheld Pulse Oximeters.

Regarding the handover, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Romania, His Excellency Kap-soo Rim said, “We are fully aligned with our partners in firmly standing-by the people of Ukraine. Our Government has been providing a wide variety of humanitarian support to Ukrainians, both at home as well as those displaced abroad. This medical assistance activity with the IOM is just one example of the many we undertake with the UN and its Agencies to address the needs of the Ukrainian people, and to support countries such as Romania in their noble humanitarian efforts to integrate huge numbers of arrivals from Ukraine”.

Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Tiberius-Marius Brădățan, stated: “The Government and people of Romania have been welcoming millions of Ukrainians in the past year, with over 100,000 now settled in Romania. This inflow of persons has increased the pressure on public services, not least in the health sector. We therefore are immensely appreciative of the expertise and help we have received to enhance our capabilities to provide the best possible levels of health services – both to refugees and Romanians alike. The Ministry of Health and I personally, want to express our gratitude for the contribution made by the Republic of Korea via IOM Romania to support the response of the Government of Romania, considering it a proof of the strong partnership we share”.

After the event, the Head of IOM Romania, Mr Mircea Mocanu, added “The handover underscored the immense value that projects like this have when governments work together with the IOM and are able to respond swiftly to the actual requirements on the ground, and to deliver on the real needs of not only migrants and refugees, but also for Romanian’s in the local communities.”

Working in cooperation with its partners, including the Government of Romania and the Government of the Republic of Korea, IOM Romania continues to deliver a 360-degree approach in providing support to migrants, including to the over 100,000 people displaced from Ukraine who now have temporary protection in Romania.

About the International Organization for Migration:

Founded 72 years ago in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration. With 175 member states and presence in over 100 countries, IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society. The Organization works with its partners in the international community to assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration, advance understanding of migration issues, encourage social and economic development through migration and to uphold the well-being and human rights of all migrants.

To learn more about IOM's work in Romania, please visit: https://romania.iom.int

Contact:

Mr. James Michael WILSON, Communications Officer, IOM Romania: jwilson@iom.int