Physicians and patients don’t have enough information about access to subsidized prescription drugs, while the recommendations of specialist doctors and general practitioners are not always in agreement regarding the delivery of subsidized medicines to patients. These findings were unveiled during the presentation of the study "Accessibility of Medicines through the List of Compensated Medicines" on July 19. "Providing medication, including subsidized drugs, to rural citizens in particular is an issue that has preoccupied decision-makers for many years," said Elena Bacalu, chairwoman of the parliamentary commission for social protection, health and family. According to her, to solve the problem of access to compensated medicines it is enough to apply the relevant international norms, which also requires taking into account the study in question. The authors recommend the development of a complex electronic tool to track the demand path for subsidized medicines, the development of coherent, transparent and justifiable tools and guidelines for decision making bodies and experts, and the revision of the mechanism for selecting medicines for subsidies.
Prosecutors and police detectives carried out a series of raids today at Moldova Mail and Customs Service locations. The Prosecutor General’s Office said in a press release the operation is part of an investigation into alleged large-scale, transborder schemes of trafficking in anabolic drugs, amber, tobacco products and alcohol, as revealed by journalistic investigations and whistleblowers. Sorin Stati, former director of the Civil Aviation Authority MoldATSA, recently revealed that each week Moldova is being transited by two tonnes of smuggled amber on its way from Ukraine to Hong Kong. He alleged that the high-ranking officers from the Police, the Customs Service and the Chisinau Airport were implicated in the scheme.
Two groups in Parliament have new leaders. Dumitru Diacov takes over as leader of the Democratic Party group following Pavel Filip’s resignation. Vladimir Cebotari will serve as the group’s deputy leader. The ACUM/DA group will be headed by Alexandru Slusari, who is also Deputy Speaker.
Former Prime Minister Iurie Leancă, who decided in favor of providing state guarantees for the National Bank to fill the financial gap at the three robbed banks - Banca de Economii, Banca Socială and Unibank – while heading the Government, said such a decision was taken because there was no other way out. He made reference to a report drawn up in concert with experts of the International Monetary Fund, which also noted there was no other solution. The document was adopted by the Government bypassing Parliament because of the rumors that attempts were made in the summer of 2014 to buy MPs who would not vote for signing the Association Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement given Russia’s interest not to allow Moldova to make progress on the path of European integration.
In a program on N4 TV channel, Prime Minister Maia Sandu said the illegalities committed by the former leader of the Democratic Party Vladimir Plahotniuc should be documented and the seeking of his extradition from the United States and probably other countries where he could be hiding should be the next step. She stated that if the institutional reform planned to be done by the new government by bringing independent people to key institutions, such as the PGO and the Constitutional Court, fails, this will be a red line that could not be crossed by the ACUM bloc and the Party of Socialists. “When we see that our partners have other interests, evidently this majority will be disbanded,” noted Maia Sandu.
University professor Dorin Cimil is the new chairperson of the Central Electoral Commission. He was elected by seven votes out of nine members of the Commission, with one vote against and one abstention. Dumitru Cimil was the sole candidate proposed for the position. Also today, CEC elected Vladimir Șerban as deputy chairperson and Maxim Lebedinschi as secretary.
Otilia Drăguțanu has announced she is leaving the Democratic group and Parliament altogether. Otilia Drăguțanu entered Parliament on PDM’s national ticket. She is the wife of the former National Bank governor Dorin Drăguțanu.
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