Ombudsman Mihail Cotorobai called on the Prime Minister and on the health, finance and other authorities to immediately intervene and help a woman who suffers from a rare disease and whose only change to get well is to have a liver transplant. Even if the state decided to cover 30% of the costs of her treatment abroad, the money is allocated only after the treatment is received. But the doctors in Belarus, where the woman is to receive treatment, ask for the money for surgery in advance, IPN reports.
In his approach, the ombudsman says the operation cannot be performed in Moldova owing to the complexity of the pathology and the lack of surgical experience.
Given that an enormous sum is needed for surgery, US$125,000, the patient requested the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection to offer her financial assistance. In September 2019, the expert commission decided to cover 15% of the cost of surgery and later raised the percentage to 30% following additional approaches made by the ombudsman.
But the woman cannot obtain the money now as it is disbursed only after surgery. Meanwhile, the woman’s state of health worsened and her life is in danger.
Mihail Cotorobai calls on the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection to immediately review its internal regulations and take all the necessary measures to immediately make the payments needed for surgery abroad.
