Camelia Şucu: The Romanian state is withholding the European grant for the oncology center

Another project of Camelia Şucu is the creation of a new oncology diagnosis center for the "Renaşterea" (ed. note: Rebirth) Foundation. This investment has already begun, but it is now being hindered by the Romanian state. Camelia Şucu says that in 2008 a project was drawn up in order to attract a European grant of 2.3 million Euros. The project was later approved in Brussels. Camelia Şucu acquired the building which would house the diagnosis center, located on the 1 Mai avenue of Bucharest, for 700,000 Euros. "After receiving the 2.3 million Euros grant, we transferred the 700,000 Euros in the account of the Ministry of Finance. The state still hasn"t reimbursed that amount", said Camelia Şucu. The center was supposed to be launched in October 2009. According to her, this investment, which will most likely be ready in October this year, will allow diagnosing breast and uterus cancer, with lung cancer diagnostic capabilities at a later stage.

This is just one of the medical projects that Camelia Şucu is developing. On one the plots of land that she acquired, located near the Mariott hotel, she intends to build an oncology and cardiology clinic. The feasibility study for the project has already been done, and Camelia Şucu says she expects the project to require a sizeable investment: "Such a project requires significant financing. It can cost as much as 25-30 million Euros. Anyway, I won"t invest my own funds in this project, I will most likely be working with a bank or an investment fund".

Mrs. Şucu will use the same sources of financing even if she succeeds in concluding a public-private partnership with the state, for the rehabilitation and modernization of the "Ana Aslan" Medical Center of Otopeni. "I would like to invest in the modernization of this center, which would then continue to be managed by the state. Someone needs to bring it back to what it once was", Camelia Şucu said.