Strike threat over proposed hospital merger in Chisinau
Employees of the Dermatology and Communicable Diseases Hospital (SDMC) in Chisinau, Moldova, are threatening to strike over the Ministry of Health's proposed merger of their institution with the Toma Ciorbă Infectious Diseases Clinic Hospital.
The potential merger, aimed at reducing bureaucratic and management costs, has sparked anger and frustration among SDMC staff. They claim they were not directly informed about the plan and only learned about it through media reports.
A petition signed by 63 employees expresses their opposition to the merger and criticises the lack of communication from the Ministry of Health. The petition states: "We learned about the reorganisation from the media, so no representative of the Ministry of Health considered it necessary to inform us. This petition represents the common will of the entire staff, which wants to maintain the independence and stability of these hospitals and which believes that their functioning would not bring real benefits in terms of the quality of care and the efficiency of services."
The petition has been sent to the Presidency, Parliament, Prime Minister, Ombudsman, and the World Health Organization's Regional Office. However, as of now, the institutions have not yet acknowledged receipt of the petition.
Representatives of the Ministry of Health have not commented on the potential strike threat, stating that they have not received any information about it.
The proposed merger remains controversial and raises concerns regarding its impact on patient care and staff morale. The situation is developing and further updates are expected.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
