A National Clinical Hospital doctor infected with COVID-19 launched an online petition by which he demands that the Commission for Exceptional Situations (CES) should include at least three renowned national epidemiologists and the heads of the strategic hospitals, IPN reports.

According to intensivist Iulian Namolovan, the Republic of Moldova is going through a difficult patch owing to the novel coronavirus pandemic and the doctors are those who should take decisions as they have the training and knowledge needed to fight and defeat the pandemic. But the Commission for Exceptional Situations, which takes all the strategic decisions related to the pandemic, includes no physician.

The intensivist noted the former director of the hospital, who was recently dismissed, did his utmost to treat the patients and protect the doctors, including him. Anatol Ciubotaru organized the testing for COVID-19 for a number of doctors at a private clinic and four of these turned out to be infected. When the diagnosis was confirmed, the physicians were isolated and started to receive treatment.

Iulian Namolovan also said that the new director of the National Clinical Hospital announced that the hospital will not pay for the tests of doctors and each of those tested should pay the tests themselves.

The petition has been signed by about 4,500 persons so far.

The four physicians of the National Clinical Hospital were tested positive for the novel coronavirus at a private lab. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection ordered to rerun the tests at the National Public Health Agency’s laboratory that was accredited by the World Health Organization. The results were confirmed.

Shortly afterward, Anatol Ciubotaru was dismissed from the post of director of the hospital.