The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, will discuss with Pfizer about converting the debt of 600 million euros into medications for oncology and rare disease patients.

Alexandru Rogobete announced that during the discussions on Thursday with representatives of Pfizer in Washington, there will be an attempt to convert the amount of 600 million euros, owed to the company for COVID vaccines, into innovative medicines for oncology patients and those with rare autoimmune diseases. Rogobete emphasized that the meetings will be exploratory, aiming to identify quick solutions to transform this debt into necessary medicines.

Although Romania must pay the amount, the official mentioned that a way to stagger the payment will be sought based on the consumption of medicines. Additionally, the purchase of some doses of COVID vaccine from this amount is not excluded, but in a reduced quantity, considering the costs of storage and transport. In this context, discussions are taking place about the state's responsibility in managing this debt.