The human rights situation in the healthcare system didn’t change essentially in 2022 either. Informal payments continue being collected in the health system. The level of spending and investments in the system remains low and there is a shortage of specialists. A legal framework on malpractice continues to be absent, shows the annual report on the observance of human rights in the Republic of Moldova in 2022, which was presented by Ombudsman Ceslav Panico to the Parliament’s commission on human rights and interethnic relations, IPN reports.

The ombudsman also noted a problem related to the accessibility and diversity of medical services. “I refer here to the time during which the patients stay and wait for a service, the quality of procedures and how far these services are from territorial viewpoint,” stated Ceslav Panico.

According to him, there is no appropriate geographical distribution of the medical services. Sometimes, these are concentrated only in Chisinau. For example, the persons with cancers need to cover hundreds of kilometers to come to Chisinau for treatment while being in a precarious state.

The ombudsman noted the right to health in detention institutions continues to be violated and most of the complaints received by the Ombudsperson’s Office refer to the violation of this right.

The report shows that alcohol and tobacco use seriously marks the education system and a national program on a healthy lifestyle needs to be designed and implemented.

Also, the right to a fair trial remains a problem. “I refer not only to the fact that the number of relevant complaints to the ombudsman almost doubled, but also to the largest number of convictions by the ECHR due to the violation of this right. Regrettably, excessive bureaucracy in the judicial system persists. There is also defective communication to inform about judicial acts at the investigation and trial phases. There is no communion between justice seekers and the national institutions,” said the ombudsman.

As a result of the public hearings, the commission on human rights and interethnic relations will draft a decision on the annual report on the observance of human rights in the Republic of Moldova in 2022, which is to be also examined in Parliament.