Civil society concerned about closure of Heart Surgery Center

The Resource Center for Human Rights (CReDO) and the Philanthropic Association “ProHumanitate” expressed their concern about the order issued by the Health Ministry, whereby the Heart Surgery Center - the only institution of the kind in Moldova - was closed, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to the CReDO director Sergiu Ostaf, the order made by the Health Ministry on October 21, 2011 will lead to the deconcentration of the capacities of the public heart surgery service and its components – surgery, intensive care and anesthesia – will disperse within a general medical institution – the National Clinical Hospital. “The concentration of the capacities of the National Clinical Hospital will inevitably lead to a worse treatment of cardiac patients as a result of lack of interaction between the indispensable components of the heart surgery service, each discipline being separately integrated into different departments of the National Clinical Hospital,” Sergiu Ostaf told a news conference. He said that the Health Ministry’s move defies the public interest as the heart treatment services will be excessively monopolized. This happens despite the good performance of the Heart Surgery Center that is considered a center of excellence, even if the people, including the political class, realize the problems faced by the cardiac patients and even if this institution is internationally approved. Dirk Harting, president of the German Philanthropic Association “ProHumanitate”, said through Skype that the closure of the Center came as a blow. The Association has cooperated with Moldova since 1989 and this decision affects the entire medical systems and throws Moldova years backward. CReDO and “ProHumanitate” recommend annulling the Health Ministry’s order, organizing public debates within the competent parliamentary commission in order to discuss the recent involutions, taking immediate measures to remedy the situation, and discussing the subject within the National Participation Council. According to the CReDO director, official statistics show that 400-600 suffering from heart problems are born in Moldova annually. To survive, they need to be operated during the first years of life. There are also about 2 800-3 000 cardiac invalids who reached such a state because they did not benefit from surgery on time.