Arafat’s taking the reigns of the Romanian Health Ministry, where he had served an undersecretary of state since 2007, seemed impossible early this year. In January, he openly criticised a healthcare bill, which had just been proposed, saying it would destroy the integrated emergency system. He warned that the law, once effective, would deal a heavy blow to this system, which also has tasks related to national security and protection against natural disasters. He argued that saving lives would be replaced by the competition between various private providers of emergency services.

In response, president Traian Basescu, who was a supporter of the new law, made some accusations against Arafat, who consequently resigned. However, both his colleagues and the general public became very vocal in defending him. There were street protests in his defence, which were also fuelled by growing dissatisfaction with both the government and the president. Subsequently, the bill was withdrawn, and Raed Arafat resumed his office with the Health Ministry to further serve emergency medicine, his life-long mission, to use his own words.

Despite being courted by various political parties, Arafat has stayed away from politics. Attending Arafat’s swearing-in ceremony, president Basescu, who admitted he was wrong about Arafat, asked the minister to submit a new healthcare bill as soon as possible. Arafat’s appointment is regarded as a good thing by the medical profession. Here is the president of the Physicians’ Council, Vasile Astarastoae:

Vasile Astarastoae “ It’s good we have a minister who knows the system and knows that such a system cannot work without the help of its professionals. And Raed Arafat is a true professional in this field. The 2012 budget needs to be drafted this month, a budget that will have to allow at least a basic functioning of the system. Such a budget can only be consolidated if the allocation is 6% of the GDP.”

Raed Arafat’s appointment was also good news for patients, who are now counting on a depoliticised system that only has their best interest at heart.