CCCEC dealt with six cases of corruption in healthcare in 2008

The Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime (CCCEC) has examined six cases of corruption in the healthcare sector since the start of this year and held seminars on corruption intolerance and non-acceptance for about 1,000 doctors, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the press service of the Center. The CCCEC opened legal cases over misuse of authority, abuse of power, influence peddling and negligence at work. In 2007, the Center instituted 13 cases over corruption and related offences in the healthcare sector. Since August 2008, after the Center received complaints from patients and their relatives, the CCCEC and the Ministry of Health have organized in concert seminars for the medical personnel of national scientific-practical centers in order to prevent corruption. The opinion polls show that the society tolerates the acts of corruption as it is not adequately informed about the risks of this phenomenon. According to the IMAS study “Perception of and Attitude towards Corruption in Moldova”, 45% of those surveyed consider that to offer a present to the doctor for a special treatment is not an act of corruption. 30% think that they can reward the doctor for a simple medical certificate. The national and international laws provide for the punishment of those that ask for or take bribe as well as of those that offer money, presents, benefits etc. The CCCEC monitors how the state medical institutions as well as the private ones provide services, the process of examining and reexamining the invalidity degrees, how the property of the state public sanitary institutions is administered, how the National Health Insurance Company, the Agency of the Medication, the Ministry of Health and other organizations make public acquisitions.