The prosecutor who runs the inquiry into a fire that affected the Giulesti maternity ward in Bucharest earlier this week, killing several newborn babies, said on Friday that medical personnel heard during the investigation provided diverging statements on the event. He said that investigation at the maternity ward was due to end but that a technical expertise report was due to be made in Petrosani, Central Romania to conclude the inquiry.

Speaking of reports that personnel who were present in the hospital when the fire broke were attending a St. Mary's Day party, he said there were data indicating that several people were in a room where a man with a cake came out one time. He said the nurse who was in charge with the intensive care section which caught fire was not present in the room for a period.

He said the results of the investigation are late because temperature in the intensive care room - where many babies were present - which caught fire reached 200 degrees Celsius, affecting much of the machines.

Media paid attention during the investigation to the fact that the doctor who serves as manager of the public Giulesti maternity ward was also involved in a private clinic owned by his relatives. Speaking on the issue, the head of Romania's Doctors College, Vasile Astarastoae, was quoted by news agency Mediafax on Friday as saying that about 200% of Romanian doctors were working both in the public system and private clinics. He argued that forcing them to choose one of the two jobs - public or private - would bring a lot of prejudice because reputed doctors would leave for where they're paid better.

The statement comes after Health Minister Cseke Attila said on Wednesday that he would promote at government level a bill to eliminate the problems caused by cases where doctors work both in public hospitals and in private uni