Health care problems receive more and more attention in electoral manifestos by political parties. However, an analysis commissioned by the Institute for Strategic Initiatives (IPIS) shows that the electoral offers proposed in the 2021 legislative election did not include a systemic approach to health care and a vision for the development of the health system. At the same time, there were multiple proposals for strengthening certain components of the health system.
Public health expert Ala Tocarciuc, a co-author of the study, told a press conference the first conclusion is that health care issues are getting increased attention. The second conclusion is that political parties of different colors perceive problems in a similar way. Another conclusion is that a deeper assessment of the needs of the health system is required in order to understand what resources we need. For example, the electoral programs of the parties participating in the July election did address the problem of shortages of health care workers, but very few solutions were proposed.
Many parties proposed the construction of new hospitals, provision of new equipment, and the digitization of the health system. This was appreciated, says Ala Tocarciuc, but not all offers estimated the costs of such proposals
IPIS expert Olga Ojog said that of the 23 parties that participated in the July election, only 17 presented their electoral manifestos. Even fewer mentioned health care issues, which Olga Ojog says is regrettable, given the pandemic and the overall state of the Moldovan heath care system.
The study was developed within the project “The vision of political parties on the development of the health care sector”, implemented by IPIS with the support of the Soros Foundation Moldova.