Minister Rogobete says he acted well in the case of the HiSky plane announcements on Facebook: “This means organizing and coordinating ahead of time, not improvisation. This means responsibility”

The Minister of Health had a first reaction after being criticized for the way he communicated on the subject of the HiSky plane, returned to Otopeni Airport on Sunday after the activation of a pressurization sensor in the cabin was reported, and claims that “it is completely absurd” to be accused of creating “panic”.

The official's reaction comes after the Association of Romanian Airlines, which represents, among others, companies such as HiSky and Tarom, said it was “unacceptable for a Government representative to post “breaking news” messages listing the number of ambulances and intensive care units prepared, suggesting the imminence of a disaster”, in the event of a “minor technical incident” that triggered “a standard safety procedure”.

Alexandru Rogobete claims that “there were no other certain data” when he was “informed that a plane with 180 passengers on board has depressurized and is returning to Otopeni”, apart from the fact that “the aircraft must fly over to reduce its weight before landing”.

“My role, as Minister of Health, is not to react after something serious happens. My role is to be prepared before. In a negative scenario, I was talking about the possibility of multiple victims. And multiple victims are not treated on the track. They are treated in hospitals. Hospitals that, at the moment, are operating with an occupancy rate of over 90%. This means organization and coordination in time, not improvisation”, the minister said, on Sunday evening, in a Facebook post.

He said that he “summoned the emergency hospitals of Bucharest in a crisis cell”.

“We informed them, put them on alert and ensured the necessary coordination. We maintained direct contact with Bucharest Airport, the Ministry of Transport and the Department for Emergency Situations. This means responsibility”, added Alexandru Rogobete.

The Minister of Health also stated that, even in the event of a safe landing, “there could be passengers with hypoxia, panic attacks or other medical problems that required hospitalization”, a scenario for which “we had to be prepared.

“To say that we created panic because we informed the public and put the system on alert is completely absurd. Information means transparency. And transparency, in a potentially critical situation, means trust. But imagine the reverse scenario: 20-30 patients arrive at the hospitals at the same time and we are not prepared. Then what would we have said? I make the decision to react promptly. I make the decision to communicate. Because prevention and preparation are no excuses, it's disappointing that when you do your job on time, you're accused of doing your job. I choose to be prepared every time,” concluded the minister.

The HiSky plane returned urgently to Otopeni

A HiSky company plane with 186 people on board, which had taken off on Sunday on a flight on the Bucharest-Hurghada route, returned urgently to “Henri Coandă” International Airport after the pilot “signaled the activation of a pressurization sensor in the cabin”, according to the press release sent by the airport representatives.

While the plane was in the air and about to return to Otopeni, the Minister of Health announced that he had “summoned a crisis cell at the Ministry of Health with the main emergency hospitals in Bucharest”, “to prevent a critical situation and to ensure, if the situation requires it, a quick and efficient coordination”. In the post, Alexandru Rogobete nominated the Ambulance and 6 hospitals in Bucharest.