Moldovan premier says final goal of hospital reform providing patients with quality services

Chisinau, 15 June /MOLDPRES/ - The concept of reforming the hospital sector was discussed at a today’s meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pavel Filip, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.

The main provisions of the draft regards enhancing the efficiency and quality of the hospital services, through regionalizing the public hospitals, depending on the complexity of cases, profile of morbidity and number of residents served.   

The concept of reformation suggests establishing ten regions (health zones): four in the central Moldova, three in the northern region and three in southern one. The principles of hospitals’ placement regards ensuring the availability of the hospital medical assistance in 60 minutes at the latest or at a distance of maximum 70 km. At the same time, the hospital regions will not be strictly delimited by the present territorial and administrative borders. The flow of emergencies and acute patients will be redirected to regional or central hospitals and the flow of chronic patients – to the local branches of the regional hospitals.    

The preliminary project of the reform also implies establishment of a university hospital, four central hospitals, 11 regional hospitals, under a joint management with the local hospitals from the concerned region, as well as of three specialized hospitals.   

During the discussions, the prime minister stressed the need to work out an action plan for a period of 8-10 years, due to provide for the regionalization of hospital services (according to health zones) with construction of regional hospitals. Also, the PM emphasized the importance to create, in parallel, the needed infrastructure, by elaborating a programme on endowing with specialized transport (ambulances), in order to guarantee the access to regional and central specialized institutions.    

Referring to the management of hospitals, the prime minister highlighted the urgency of approving a new model of governance of medical institutions and of their territorial coordination.   

“The state has two basic duties: the one of working out policies and the one of regulation. The final goal of the hospital reform consists in providing quality services and necessary comfort to patients. I want us to have, first of all, a clear-cut, ideal vision;  subsequently, we will identify the needed investments and will carry out, in stages, the reorganization of the hospital system.”   

At the same time, Pavel Filip asked the competent minister to as soon as possible give the final touches to the reform of hospitals in Moldova, with the consultation of all interested sides, and to propose it to the government for approval.    

For their part, the representatives of the Finance Ministry, the Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, National Health Insurances Company, World Health Organization, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, who attended the meeting, assured the government of their every support and active participation in giving the final touches and implementation of the reform.