Vlad Vasile Voiculescu has been nominated as health minister on Thursday by Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos, the Government announced in a press release. His swearing in is expected on Friday.
Ciolos has acted as interim health minister since 9 May, when the Patriciu Achimas Cadariu resigned amid a scandal on the quality of disinfectants used in hospitals.
The prime minister explained his choice on Thursday night at Realitatea TV: “I have hesitated lately (…) between someone from the system, a physician with knowledge of the system and with a reform vision, and someone from outside, who knows the medical system but comes with a credibility of an equidistant — if I may say so — vision from outside the system and brings ideas of reform and evolution. Given the current situation, with high expectations from the society, existing tensions also within the medical system (…) I have decided even to take a chance and come with this proposition, Mr. Vlad Voiculescu, who is an economist experienced in financial and banking management, but who for a couple of years (…) had the opportunity to know well the medical system of Romania, as he has worked with this system on behalf of the civil society.”
Vlad Voiculescu has a master’s degree in strategic management and finances at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration.
Established abroad since 2001, he accumulated experience in financing social infrastructure, transport and energy projects and in public-private partnerships, including as Vice President in the Infrastructure Finance Division of Erste Group, Vienna.
In December 2015 he was appointed chief of staff of Finance Minister Anca Dragu.
According to the esmo.org website of the European Society for Medical Oncology, his volunteer background includes the establishment of several associations for patient support in Romania. In 2014, he founded the Magic Camp Centre for child cancer patients. Member of the Romanian Association Against Leukemia — ARIL. Member of the Aspen Institute Romania. Founding member of the Global Shapers Bucharest Hub. Vice chairman and treasurer of the European Cancer Patient Coalition since 2013.
In 2008, he started the so-called ‘cytostatics network’ of volunteers to bring free cancer drugs unavailable to Romanian patients in hospitals and pharmacies. More…