Projects done with the heart

On June 28, Mrs. Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen has participated, together with her Romanian counterpart, Mr. Cseke Attila, in the launch of the Pilot Reference Centre for Rare Diseases in Zalău. The Center has been developed within the “Norwegian – Romanian Partnership for Rare Diseases”, a 2,1 million EUR project, financed by a grant from Norway (90% grant value) and by a contribution of the Romanian Ministry of Health. The project was implemented by the Prader Willi Association in Romania in partnership with its Norwegian counterpart, Prader Willi Norway, and with Frambu Resource Centre for Rare Disorders in Norway. “It was a project done with our hearts”, Mrs. Dorica Dan, the project coordinator, said when she met the Norwegian delegation at the entrance of the center. In her opening remarks, the Norwegian minister pointed out that she participated in this event in a double capacity, as health minister and as a mother. She expressed her appreciation of the excellent cooperation between Norway and Romania in the field of rare diseases, an area which requires special competence and cooperation across borders, and of the very good and hard work done by the project promoter and its partners.

 

 

The Romanian health minister, Mr. Cseke Attila, pointed out that in the last few years the budget allocated to rare diseases has been constantly increased reaching approximately 50 million EUR annually. On this occasion he informed that the rare diseases budget in Romania will be increased by 2 million EUR as of July 2011. Both ministers referred to the driving force behind this project and its achievements – Mrs. Dorica Dan, president of Prader Willi Association Romania, a mother who turned her suffering into an opportunity for a great many families affected by rare diseases challenges; a person whose efforts and work resulted into what is now the first network and competence-building center for rare diseases in Romania.

 

 

The next visit of the minister was to the Day Center for Children with Developmental Disorders, opened recently in Bucharest within the Psychiatric “Dr. C-tin Gorgos” Titan Hospital. Of a total of 20 000 people with developmental disorders, 10% live in Bucharest. Established with the help of Norway Grants, and co-financed by the Romanian Ministry of Health and by the Bucharest Mayor’s Office, the newly built and fully equipped day care center will offer treatment and adequate services to approximately 600 children, also from outside Bucharest, annually.

Further details can be found at www.norvegia.ro