Commonground
Senior Moderator
[Serratia marcescens is a species of rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacteria in the family Yersiniaceae. It is a facultative anaerobe and an opportunistic pathogen in humans.]
26 Septembrie 2025
Following the information that has appeared in the public space regarding the case at the “Sfânta Maria” Children’s Emergency Clinical Hospital in Iași, the Ministry of Health makes the following clarifications: 9 patients under the age of one were infected with Serratia Marcescens. 6 deaths were recorded in the health unit.
From the medical data currently available to the Ministry of Health, we cannot establish a direct medical link between healthcare-associated infections, other pathologies and comorbidities of the patients, and death. The causal link between the Serratia Marcescens infection and death will be established by forensic experts.
According to currently available data, the first infection occurred on 13.09.2025, and was reported to the DSP late, on 19.09.2025, when there were already 4 infected patients at the hospital.
The hospital did not take the necessary isolation measures at the intensive care unit level and did not transmit the information to the DSP in a timely manner, according to the legislation in force.
“I have urgently ordered a joint inspection by the head of the Control Body of the Ministry of Health and the head of the State Sanitary Inspection of the Ministry of Health, who will urgently travel to Iași, together with the technical teams of the Ministry of Health, to assess the situation on site and draw up a control report. Maximum misdemeanor sanctions will be applied, namely unequivocal administrative measures, and if it is found that there are people who are guilty of covering up and not reporting infections, respectively of not respecting protocols, I will order their dismissal,” declared the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete.
So far, the following sanctions have been applied by the sanitary inspectors within the Iași DSP:
Hospital epidemiologist – 10,000 lei for not respecting the legal provisions in the control of nosocomial infections;
ATI doctor – 10,000 lei for not respecting protocols and procedures;
Health unit – 50,000 lei for failure to comply with protocols and procedures.
At the institution level, the following measures were ordered:
Suspension of admissions to the ICU section, sector A, limiting access to staff from outside the section and visitors/family members, until the Serratia Marcescens outbreak is declared closed;
Use of protective equipment and adequate hand hygiene by medical staff;
Continuation of testing on culture media of the skin of the hands of all staff in the ICU section and intensification of these measures including after the outbreak is closed;
Repeating the drinking water sample from the network, catheter room
Suspension of the use of sterile materials from batches with non-compliant results in rapid testing, until receiving the results from the laboratory, when the necessary measures will be taken depending on the results obtained, compliant or non-compliant;
Further testing of sterile materials purchased from outside the health facility and the use of sterile gloves from compliant batches for each operation performed, for each patient, until the outbreak is closed.
The Ministry of Health has ordered the creation of a Crisis Cell consisting of the State Sanitary Inspection, the Control Body of the Minister of Health and the Public Health Directorate of Iași County.
The control is ongoing, we will return with details.
https://www.ms.ro/ro/centrul-de-pre...e-urgență-pentru-copii-sfânta-maria-din-iași/
26 Septembrie 2025
Following the information that has appeared in the public space regarding the case at the “Sfânta Maria” Children’s Emergency Clinical Hospital in Iași, the Ministry of Health makes the following clarifications: 9 patients under the age of one were infected with Serratia Marcescens. 6 deaths were recorded in the health unit.
From the medical data currently available to the Ministry of Health, we cannot establish a direct medical link between healthcare-associated infections, other pathologies and comorbidities of the patients, and death. The causal link between the Serratia Marcescens infection and death will be established by forensic experts.
According to currently available data, the first infection occurred on 13.09.2025, and was reported to the DSP late, on 19.09.2025, when there were already 4 infected patients at the hospital.
The hospital did not take the necessary isolation measures at the intensive care unit level and did not transmit the information to the DSP in a timely manner, according to the legislation in force.
“I have urgently ordered a joint inspection by the head of the Control Body of the Ministry of Health and the head of the State Sanitary Inspection of the Ministry of Health, who will urgently travel to Iași, together with the technical teams of the Ministry of Health, to assess the situation on site and draw up a control report. Maximum misdemeanor sanctions will be applied, namely unequivocal administrative measures, and if it is found that there are people who are guilty of covering up and not reporting infections, respectively of not respecting protocols, I will order their dismissal,” declared the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete.
So far, the following sanctions have been applied by the sanitary inspectors within the Iași DSP:
Hospital epidemiologist – 10,000 lei for not respecting the legal provisions in the control of nosocomial infections;
ATI doctor – 10,000 lei for not respecting protocols and procedures;
Health unit – 50,000 lei for failure to comply with protocols and procedures.
At the institution level, the following measures were ordered:
Suspension of admissions to the ICU section, sector A, limiting access to staff from outside the section and visitors/family members, until the Serratia Marcescens outbreak is declared closed;
Use of protective equipment and adequate hand hygiene by medical staff;
Continuation of testing on culture media of the skin of the hands of all staff in the ICU section and intensification of these measures including after the outbreak is closed;
Repeating the drinking water sample from the network, catheter room
Suspension of the use of sterile materials from batches with non-compliant results in rapid testing, until receiving the results from the laboratory, when the necessary measures will be taken depending on the results obtained, compliant or non-compliant;
Further testing of sterile materials purchased from outside the health facility and the use of sterile gloves from compliant batches for each operation performed, for each patient, until the outbreak is closed.
The Ministry of Health has ordered the creation of a Crisis Cell consisting of the State Sanitary Inspection, the Control Body of the Minister of Health and the Public Health Directorate of Iași County.
The control is ongoing, we will return with details.
https://www.ms.ro/ro/centrul-de-pre...e-urgență-pentru-copii-sfânta-maria-din-iași/