Members of the public association “Center for the Defense of the Rights of Patients and Invalids” (CADPI) accuse the Ministry of Finance of not obeying a court decision that obliges it to pay damages to four children who remained without parents as a result of medical negligence. Under the decision, the Ministry must pay 16,000 lei, but the children’s grandmother, who became their guardian, cannot obtain the money. Related statements were made in a news conference at IPN.

CADPI project manager Elena Covalschi said that on December 31, 2007, Tatiana Turcanu, 29, was hospitalized in a serious condition and diagnosed with pneumonia. One day later, the woman died. Four medical institutions refused to examine the woman’s state of health and the ignorance led to her death.

The CADPI filed a complaint to court over medical negligence. On February 7, 2012, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiff, ordering paying damages of 16,000 lei to the family from the state budget. “The decision came into force on March 12, 2012, but hasn’t been yet implemented. It had to be carried out within six months. The fact that the Ministry of Fiancé does not obey the decision represents a violation of the legislation,” stated Elena Covalschi.

CADPI president Alexandr Covalschi said the Buiucani Court rejected the association’s application for compensations for the moral damage caused by delaying the implementation of the decision. Earlier, the Chisinau Court of Appeals wanted to quash the decision of the first court too.

According to Alexandr Covalschi, the ordinary people in Moldova do not have chances to receive damages from the state. The situation is different when the cases involve high-ranking officials as for example the case of Cazul Sandulachi, when the Chisinau Court of Appeals ordered paying damages of €400,000 to the plaintiff. The Ministry of Finance paid the damages before the court decision took effect. The Supreme Court of Justice quashed the decision, but the money wasn’t returned.