An assessment of the entire spectrum of provided medical-social services will be made in Chisinau so as to later agree the steps that need to be taken to develop them. The focus will be on accessibility, a friendlier infrastructure for people with special needs. The municipality further aims to increase the capacities of the centers that were opened recently.



Specialized municipal centers

The day care center “ADIR” is intended for adults with autism spectrum disorders. It offers free therapy, skills development sessions, psychological counselling and recreational and cultural activities. The head of the General Medical and Social Assistance Division Vladimir Bolocan said that nine people are attending the center at this moment. They are involved in activities on a daily basis.

For people with intellectual disabilities aged over 16 years, there is another specialized center – “START”.

The placement and orientation center for people without permanent residence, located on Haltei Street, provides nonstop services during the cold period of the year, November 1 – March 31. Although the center is in greater demand in winter, the authorities intend to change its schedule during the warm period so that it works uninterruptedly. Vladimir Bolocan noted that the center shelters people not only from Chisinau, but also from all over the country. People can come to the center as many times as needed. Currently, there are 80 accommodated beneficiaries, who also eat there three times a day. At the center, a psychologist assists the beneficiaries, while a priest holds services.  Those accommodated at the center are people of different ages, with different levels of education. Among them there are people with physical or mental health problems.



Hot lunches

People with a residence visa in Chisinau, whose income does not exceed 3,000 lei per month, can be eligible for the public catering service for socially vulnerable people. Last year, 6.5 million lei was allocated for this service, thanks to which 1,200 people benefited from hot lunches. In each district of the capital city, there are from 200 to 300 beneficiaries. A tender contest for the provision of the social canteen service for beneficiaries is organized annually.

Vladimir Bolocan said that economic agents are not very interested in participating in these tender contests. There were cases when no bid was submitted. Then, the service was provided thanks to municipal food supply companies. The concept needs to be changed and the implementation of a social card is one of the solutions. Discussions on the social card continue to this day.



2024 is the year of accessibility in Chisinau municipality

2024 was declared the year of accessibility in the municipality of Chisinau, which means that both services for people with special needs and infrastructure projects that will increase accessibility will be developed. A number of medical institutions are in the process of purchasing elevators, especially in institutions where they were no elevators or the existing elevators don’t work.

People with visual disabilities receive free special timers and walking sticks for the blind.

More recently, the prostheses for patients with cancer were included in the Health Care Law and the laboratory of the Cancer Institute starting with 2024 will offer prosthetic services on a larger scale.

There is also an auditory prostheses program. Vladimir Bolocan said that the problem resides in the shortage of audiologists. The number of applicants for auditory prostheses has growm.



In vitro fertilization and mammograms – ongoing programs

Infertile couples have the opportunity to apply to the municipal assisted human reproduction program. It is a program launched in 2023. Thirty-three families, mostly young ones, were involved so far. Twelve of the women are already pregnant. The municipal program is calculated for one hundred couples each year and the financial support totals 60,000 lei per couple.

Brest cancer screening (mammogram) is a program intended for women. According to the Chisinau City Hall, the objective of the program is to reduce by 10% the incidence of advanced breast cancer cases and mortality in Chisinau through mammograms in women aged 45-70 years by 2025. A single scan can detect several forms of cancer simultaneously. Vladimir Bolocan noted that discussions are held to consider the possibility of decentralizing the oncology service and creating the municipal oncology service.

The Division’s head said that 2024 must be the year when all processes within the programs launched in 2023 will be automated. Last but not least, new services will be developed. The 2023 budget of the General Medical and Social Assistance Division was over 300 million lei. This year the amount is expected to be higher.

Milena Macarciuc, IPN