Moldova healthcare unification faces internal resistance
An administrative consolidation proposal uniting Chișinău's Toma Ciorbă Infectious Diseases Hospital and the Dermatology and Communicable Diseases Hospital has ignited employee anxieties, culminating in a Tuesday protest outside the Government building.
Approximately 200 healthcare workers rallied, expressing unease over the potential impact of the merger on job security and patient care. "This proposed unification lacks transparency and comprehensive planning," declared one anonymous protester. "We demand a formal moratorium until a concrete road map, approved by relevant authorities, is presented."
Union leader Viorica Cotos of the Toma Ciorbă hospital voiced concerns regarding the merger's scope. "Discrepancies exist between official pronouncements and the document circulating for public consultation," she stated. "The proposal hints at a more profound amalgamation, raising apprehensions about our hospital's eventual absorption."
Despite repeated attempts, Health Ministry spokesperson Corina Gamurari was unavailable for comment. Government spokesperson Daniel Vodă simply confirmed the project's ongoing public consultation phase on the Ministry's platform.
Minister Ala Nemerenco's recent remarks highlighting alleged mismanagement and resource disparities at the two institutions add fuel to the debate. While underscoring underutilised capacity at the Dermatology hospital, she criticised Toma Ciorbă's lack of an intensive care unit and purported administrative deficiencies.
However, the merger's long-term implications for both staff well-being and patient outcomes remain unclear, particularly within the context of a strained healthcare system grappling with budgetary constraints and a nationwide personnel shortage.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
