The private hospitals will be also able to perform transplant operations. Relevant changes to the Law on Transplantation of Organs, Human Tissue and Cells were approved by the Government on November 6. The bill is to be adopted by Parliament, IPN reports.

The institutions will be authorized by the Ministry of Health. The hospitals must have appropriate surgical wards, equipment and specialists. They must also respect the requirements concerning the storing and protection of data.

The bill specifies that the consent of an independent commission is necessary when organs are donated by living people. The consent of such a commission is not needed when taking stem cells, skin, sperm, placenta and other materials from living donors.

According to the Ministry of Health, 26 operations to transplant cornea, nine operations to transplant kidneys and two operations to transplant liver were performed in Moldova over the last three years.