The most common flaw seen in the electoral manifestos proposed by political parties when it comes to health care is the selection of the needs of a narrow group of patients, instead of a strategic approach, says public health expert Ala Tocarciuc, a co-author of a study commissioned by the Institute for Strategic Initiatives (IPIS).
During a press conference to present the study, Ala Tocarciuc noted that the problems in the health care system are getting increased attention. But a deeper assessment of the needs of the health care system is required. “They say let’s build three regional hospitals and for that we will spend, for instance, 100 million euros. But they don’t indicate where the money will come from. It’s just a generalization, without details”, the expert remarked, analyzing the electoral programs and offers of political parties in terms of health care.
When it comes to an electoral proposal, a political party should be very sure that it can deliver on its commitment. It is important that before making a proposal, there is a feasibility study, a calculation done. “Collective intelligence is important, one or two people know a lot, but ten people know even more,” said the expert. “When we gather more collective intelligence, we gather more points of view that it is impossible for a single person to have. But definitely 20 will bring value. When we manage to see a problem in a 5D format, we will surely see the risks and the possible solutions and we will go on the right path”, added Ala Tocarciuc.
Vadim Pistrinciuc, IPIS executive director, said that in the last two years, especially during the pandemic, we see that there are more “health experts” than ever. There is a lot of controversial information. The field of health care is very sensitive and raises a lot of speculation. But in a true democracy, those who have to deal with health care policies are the political parties.
Of the total number of 133 electoral offers analyzed in the study, over 50% featured health protection as a priority. The strategic direction targeted by the electoral offers is aimed at increasing the access to health care services by modifying processes and developing infrastructure. Health promotion and disease prevention occupy a smaller place in electoral manifestos. Although Moldova has been in a pandemic crisis for 18 months, public health emergencies were mentioned in only 6 electoral offers of 4 electoral contestants. Scientific research in health was missing in all electoral manifestos except one.
The study was developed within the project “The vision of political parties on the development of the health care sector”, implemented by IPIS with the support of the Soros Foundation Moldova.
