Patients Learn Their Rights

August 13, 2009. Challenge Poor quality of care combined with endemic corruption has created low public trust in the Moldovan healthcare system.  Patients lacked a voice to limit corruption or to demand improvements in the quality of care.   Initiative In the last two years, the Moldova Governance Threshold Country Program, funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation and managed by USAID, assisted Moldovan healthcare authorities to create sustainable mechanisms that help patients’ voices to be heard.  In 2008, the Ministry of Health conducted the first nationwide survey of patient satisfaction.  The survey results were used to identify the strengths of the participating healthcare institutions and the areas where they need to improve.  It also makes it possible to compare healthcare institutions to monitor changes in patients’ opinions over time.  The questionnaires included questions about waiting time, confidentiality, patient rights, informal payments to medical staff, transparency, courtesy of medical personnel, quality of medical services, and conditions in the hospital buildings and rooms.   Result Over 74 % of patients know their rights and obligations regarding medical services.  Less than 30% paid for medical services at the cashier’s office.

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