The authorities accepted about 1,200 applications from persons suffering from chronic viral hepatitis who want to benefit from free treatment. Until January 9, 2017, the medicines will be distributed to districts and the treatment could be started. The process of submitting applications continues and those who suffer from viral hepatitis or are carriers of the virus are advised to go to the specialist doctor and ask for free treatment, even if they are not on the waiting list. The drugs form part of the consignment that was recently purchased by the Ministry of Health, IPN reports.

While on a visit to the Infectious Diseases Hospital “Toma Ciorba”, which got such medicines, Minister of Health Ruxanda Glavan said the waiting lists include about 3,000 persons. The authorities aim to ensure that all the patients are reassessed during the next two months and benefit from treatment. Also, in the first quarter of next year, a new procedure will be initiated for purchasing drugs of the kind so that another 3,500 people who weren’t on the lists, but are carriers receive treatment.

Ruxanda Glavan noted that until now these drugs weren’t available on the pharmaceutical market of Moldova and the persons purchased them from abroad. The treatment is 90% effective. Earlier the efficiency was of 40%.

The drugs were bought for 35 million lei. The money was earmarked in the national program for combating hepatitis (B, C and Delta) for 2016. The medicines are imported from Bangladesh and Egypt.