A number of the models of public-private partnerships in the healthcare sector proposed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) were discussed at a specialized seminar in Chisinau on February 9, Info-Prim Neo reports. “A model that turned out to be successful was when the hospital laboratory was transferred under private management,” said Robert Taylor, the head of the IFC Health and Education Department. The expert considers that the radiotherapy for oncology would hold special interest for Moldova. A private partner could open a radiotherapy clinic that would provide services to patients. “I think that such a kind of partnership would be appropriate for Moldova, where the cancer rate is high. The linear accelerators are very expensive and most of the times the governments cannot afford to buy them,” Taylor said. “A successful private-public partnership is when the patient does not know whether the provider is public or private. The insurance companies should pay for these services. I think this is a long-term objective for Moldova,” Robert Taylor said The expert spoke about different types of public-private partnerships. An optimal model is when the private partner pledges not only to building and equipping the medical institution, but also to providing clinical support services. “When a public-private partnership is established, it should be clear that the government does not pay for the equipment, but only for the services provided for the population. The private operator builds and equips the equipment and employs medical staff,” the IFC expert said. According to him, the uncertainty that the government might not pay for the medical services provided for the population is the greatest risk invoked by the developers. “For the deal to be successful, both the private operators and the banks that guarantee the investment and make investments should be contented,” Robert Taylor said. There are about 500 private medical institutions in Moldova at present.