Doctors are encouraged to work transparently, not to take money in envelope from patients and to inform these about the medical services and medicines from which they can benefit based on the common mandatory health insurance program. The health authorities are conducting a campaign in favor of the integrity of healthcare workers, IPN reports.
In the event to present the campaign, Minister of Health Ala Nemerenco said that even if the average salary of a doctor rose to 18,000 lei, the payments in envelope remain a problem of the health system. A number of measures will be taken to combat this phenomenon, including by increasing salaries, improving work conditions and modernizing the health system.
“The patients should know their rights and should insist on free and payment-free access to all the medical services covered by the insurance policy. The patients must be encouraged to declare the informal payments. In this regard, the National Anticorruption Center created portals, different online reporting methods, electronic messages. Requests can be also made to NAC, institutions or the Ministry of Health,” said the minister.
National Anticorruption Center director Iulian Rusu provided details about the information campaign. “We come with simple explanations about improper influence, the appropriate behavior of a health professional and how to protect oneself from different provocations aimed at engaging someone in corruption schemes,” he stated.
The information campaign is supported by international partners. According to the vice director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Moldova Veronica Crețu, the Government of Switzerland, by the projects it supports, encourages citizens participation. “By this campaign, we call on the people to be more determined and look for the required information so as to inform themselves about the institutions to which they can go, the mechanisms they can use when their right to equal access to healthcare is violated,” stated Veronica Crețu.
National Health Insurance Company director general Ion Dodon said the patients should know their rights, in particular the steps that should be taken to benefit from medical assistance based on the common mandatory health insurance program. It comes not only to the provided medical services, but also to the prescription of compensated drugs.
The patients and healthcare workers who do not know their rights are urged to call the Green Line of the National Health Insurance Company 0-800-99999 or the Hotline of the Ministry of Health 022 721 010.
The information campaign titled “Integrity for Health” is conducted as part of the project “Equity in Health through Social Responsibility” that is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
