Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu has fired his health minister Vlad Voiculescu, saying he wanted to shore up trust in state institutions as they battled the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters reports.

“To be successful in fighting the pandemic I have always said there is a need for trust in state institutions,” Citu said after dismissing Voiculescu. “To ensure trust in state institutions endures, I have decided to make a change at the top of the health ministry. I strongly believe in this governing coalition.”

Voiculescu, 37, an economist, had pledged to make the healthcare sector and state hospitals more transparent, and faced a backlash from politicians and politically-appointed hospital managers.

He was in the process of hiring new heads of county health insurance agencies who control billions of euros in healthcare funds. Many were chosen because of their political allegiance, said observers.