The ensuring of reasonable conditions of individual protection together with the periodic testing of medical personnel should be a priority for the authorities and the measure should be taken as swiftly as possible given that the medical personnel are the most exposed to the risk of catching COVID-19.

An appeal of Promo-LEX, which was signed by a number of organizations, says the public admission by Prime Minister Ion Chicu of the fact that the healthcare system hasn’t represented a priority during the last few years requires the central public authorities to immediately take measures to ensure safe working conditions for the medical staff.

Promo-LEX says that in accordance with the law on the profession of doctor, the state is obliged to ensure conditions for the medical personnel to work by respecting the rules and technologies of providing medical assistance. The authorities should isolate the medical personnel with symptoms of infection and the fellows who came into contact with these should be tested immediately and placed in quarantine. They should provide the health facilities with the necessary equipment and should de-bureaucratize the access of persons with chronic diseases to medicines so as to reduce the risk of infection of medical staff and of these persons.

The national extraordinary commission for public health should take all the necessary measures to purchase test kits and test as many people in Moldova as possible. Promo-LEX warns about the discrepancy between the number of available test kits declared by the authorities and the number of tests done daily.

The call was signed by Promo-LEX, Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims “Memoria”, Legal Resources Center of Moldova, Human Rights Embassy, Moldovan Institute for Human Rights, Office of Lawyer Natalia Moloșag and Public Association “Positive Initiative”.