Moldova: New MRI scanner boosts paediatric diagnostics
Young patients at the Mother and Child Institute in Chișinău are now benefiting from advanced diagnostic imaging following the installation of a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner.
The new MRI Unit, part of the Radiology and Nuclear Medicine Department, was inaugurated on Thursday, September 25, with officials from the Ministry of Health in attendance.
The Institute's Director, Sergiu Gladun, said the MRI unit's launch was crucial for both the hospital and the wider national health system in the Republic of Moldova. He noted that under an additional agreement signed with the National Health Insurance Company (CNAM), the unit will also provide diagnoses for children from other medical facilities.
"Diagnosis will be more accurate and treatment more effective, leading to faster patient recovery," said Mr Gladun. Ina Palii, Head of Cardiology and Deputy Director at the Mother and Child Institute, highlighted that the launch of the in-house MRI service is a strategic achievement for modernizing medical services for children, pregnant women, and other patients across the country. "Through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Health and UNICEF, this Canon 1.5 Tesla MRI system was installed. It is fully equipped for high-performance examinations and adapted for all paediatric ages, including newborns, from all over the country. For the safety of paediatric patients who require general anaesthesia, a Fabius anaesthesia system and a Tesla M3 monitor were also commissioned, in line with international safety and quality standards," explained the Deputy Director.
The Health Minister, Ala Nemerenco, clarified that the investment was made possible by renegotiating a World Bank project initially intended for COVID-19 patients. The Mother and Child Institute is the last of the five institutions receiving MRI equipment under this initiative. The general anaesthesia machines required an additional investment of nearly 2.8 million Moldovan lei, covered with support from UNICEF.
MRI equipment was previously supplied to the four other beneficiaries: the Institute of Emergency Medicine, the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, the Clinical Hospital in Bălți, and the Oncology Institute. "It is unacceptable for institutions not to have all the necessary tools at their disposal in a century of information technology development," the Minister said.
The total value of the project is more than 28 million Moldovan lei. Ala Nemerenco added that the Mother and Child Institute remains a strategic institution for the health system and, in many cases, the last hope for parents and children. Over the past few years, more than 300 million Moldovan lei has been invested in equipment and repairs at this facility.
Overall, in less than three years, more than 4 billion Moldovan lei have been allocated to the national healthcare system, thanks to the support of development partners, including the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Translation by Iurie Tataru
