The quality of conditions in which medical services are provided differ from rayon to rayon, especially between urban and rural areas, showing particular inequalities in benefitting from assistance in conditions according to standards in relation to inhabitants of different regions. The National Human Development Report 2015/2016, launched by UNDP Moldova, shows over 50% of the specialized and hospital capacities are concentrated in Chisinau. Therefore, the rural population has lower possibilities of having equitable access to these services, IPN reports.
The population in rural regions has much slimmer chances of benefitting from diagnostic and treatment services based on modern equipment and apparatus. There is a shortage of equipment needed for primary medical assistance according to standards ranging from 40% to 90%.
Inequalities are also witnessed in the primary medical assistance. At the nation al level, there are 4.8 family doctors per 10,000 people, which is much lower than the average in the EU.
According to the study authors, to increase the rural population’s access to medical services and their availability, the hospital service should be reformed and the specialized services should be regionalized. This would increase the quality of equipment and, respectively, of the medical services provided for the population in the country’s regions. Programs to increase the rural population‘s access to pharmaceutical and dental treatment services are required.
Efficient and durable screening and early diagnostic programs are also needed at national level to reduce the number of persons diagnosed late with advanced forms of diseases, who have slim chances of treatment and survival in rural areas.
