Approximately 500 persons with chronic renal failure on January 1 this year received dialysis treatment in Moldova. Contacted by IPN, chairman of the Society of Urologists and Nephrologists of Moldova Adrian Tanase, who founded the dialysis service in Moldova, said that judging by the epidemiological picture, 1,000-1,200 people need dialysis. The treatment costs for medically insured persons are covered by the state. The cost of a procedure this year is 1,995 lei. A patient included in dialysis treatment needs two-three procedures a week.
Adrian Tanase assured that all the persons who need dialysis benefit from this treatment. Only the foreigners who come to Moldova and do not have a health policy or the Moldovans who work abroad and need this treatment while they are home pay for dialysis.
The persons who have low incomes, do not have a job or are unable to work benefit from health insurance from the state on condition that they prove they are officially unemployed or receive unemployment benefit. These persons are among the categories of people for which the price of health policy is paid by the state. They can obtain a certificate showing they are unemployed from the National Employment Agency.
The doctor said 20% of all the patients who take dialysis can be put on the waiting list for kidney transplant. The rest have contraindications to surgery. On January 1, 2017, 40 patients waited for a kidney transplant. It should be noted that 22 kidney transplants were performed in Moldova in 2016. This year the figure will rise to 30, with four operations being already performed. The patients who need kidney transplant are selected out of those who take dialysis. Only those who give their consent to having such an operation and who do not have contraindications arte put on the waiting list.
In Moldova, there are nine dialysis sections: seven in public health facilities and two in private ones. The public institutions that have dialysis sections are: National Clinical Hospital (Chisinau), Emergency Medicine Institute (Chisinau), Mother and Child Center (Chisinau), Municipal Hospital “Saint Trinity” (Chisinau), Balti Municipal Hospital, Cahul District Hospital and Comrat District Hospital. The private ones are: BB Dializa Center (Chisinau) and Hemodialysis Section “Dr.Pitel SRL” (Chisinau). This year, BB Dializa Center, which serves more than half of the persons in need of dialysis, will increase the number of dialysis machines to 64, while the number of patients to 350.
Towards this yearned, 570-580 persons with end-stage kidney disease will be treated in all the specialized sections of the country. The cost of the medical service is covered by the National Health Insurance Company either it is provided in a public institution or in a private one. Those who come to Chisinau for dialysis from other regions are refunded the travel expenses.
