BUCHAREST, Aug 26, 2010 (IPS) - Five newborns died last week in a fire caused by an airconditioning fault at a Bucharest maternity. Insufficient, overworked staff and deficient maintenance -- results of inadequate funding of the health system - -were listed among the causes.

"I'm surprised such tragedies don't happen more often, given the conditions we work in," said resident doctor Raluca Grumazescu from the Brasov Children's Hospital.

The sole nurse attending the newborns at the Giulesti maternity in Bucharest had stepped out of the ward when the fire broke out. Three babies in incubators died instantly and two others did not survive severe burns.

"In Romanian hospitals, it is common that only one doctor and one nurse supervise up to 100 patients during nightshifts, and they have to deal with emergencies on top of that," Grumazescu says. "The night duty can come in the middle of a 36-hour shift during which, if the hospital takes emergencies, there is no time to rest.

"We would need double the number of staff we have now," Grumazescu told IPS. "At the moment, nurses also do the job of orderlies, carrying patients and even cleaning the floors."