Although last week she announced that several doctors of the Cancer Institute were dismissed, Minister of Health Ala Nemerenco said today that not all the employment contracts were terminated. More precisely, two of the five doctors accused of taking bribe from patients were only fined and banned from holding positions in the healthcare sector for several months, IPN reports.

A response provided by the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office to the PRO TV editorial office says that that criminal case started in 2023 following searches at the homes and offices of the employees of the Cancer Institute is still at the criminal investigation stage, with a total of five people being investigated. At the same time, four other contravention cases were initiated and were sent to court.

Thus, one year after the searches at the Cancer Institute, the sentences were pronounced only in the case of two doctors concerned in contravention cases, namely for receiving illegitimate rewards for the provision of mandatory services.

In the first case, the chief physician of the Consultative Section III of the Cancer Institute was found guilty of asking for and receiving rewards for particle services for 16 times. The employee was fined 7,500 lei for one case, while for the other cases the statute of limitations expired. In addition, he was banned from holding positions in the health sector for three months. However, in 15 cases he avoided liability due to the expiry of the statute of limitations.

The chief physician of the Consultative Section II was fined 15,000 lei for two of the ten cases in which he received rewards from patients. He will not be able to hold a position in public services for five months.

According to the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office, at present, at the Chisinau Court, headquarters, the contravention cases featuring the deputy director for consultative assistance and the chief physician of the Consultative Section I are pending at the Buiucani Court of Chisinau City.

A week ago, the Minister of Health said that a group of employees of the Cancer Institute were dismissed. Now, however, Ala Nemerenco declares that not all the contracts were terminated. “Some of the contracts were terminated. The other employees withdrew, retired. One person is on sick leave. All the contracts must be terminated in accordance with the labor code,” the minister told the press.