INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT

Public actors in the health sector of the Republic of Moldova – trained in the field of integrity, corruption risks and mitigation measures

Between 13-23 February, a series of four special trainings on the topic of integrity and good practices in the fight against corruption in the health sector of the Republic of Moldova took place in Chișinău.

The trainings were attended by more than 120 representatives of the healthcare sector, including the Ministry of Health, the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices, the National Health Insurance Company, the National Agency for Public Health, and managers and administrators of medical institutions.

The objective of the trainings was to familiarise the beneficiaries with the most important aspects of professional integrity of the staff employed in the healthcare sector, to promote ethical behaviour, and to prevent irregularities in the provision of

The program of trainings included topics related to the updated anti-corruption and integrity legal provisions, such as:

» General aspects on ethics, deontology, and integrity. Professional integrity of the staff from the healthcare sector.

» Incompatibilities, restrictions, and limitations in medical and pharmaceutical professions.

» Conflicts of interest and favouritism – general and special rules for medical staff and pharmacists.

» Gifts offered during medical or pharmaceutical practice.

» Attitude of intolerance towards corruption – reporting and requesting protection.

» The role of managers in establishing and supporting the work of ethics (bioethics) Committees to ensure compliance with integrity standards of medical institutions.

» Submission of progress reports on the implementation of the existing Sectorial Anti-Corruption Action Plan in the healthcare sector.

» Adaptation of anti-corruption legislation for the healthcare sector.

» Gifts offered during medical or pharmaceutical practice.

» Drafting, implementation, and monitoring of institutional integrity plans, including the development of a gifts and hospitality register.

During the trainings, practical cases of corruption were analysed, and liability for corruption offenses was detailed from the perspective of the Integrity Law, as well as the consequences of integrity incidents. Following the training sessions, the beneficiaries can define and distinguish professional integrity standards and policies in the healthcare sector, implement policies to strengthen the institutional integrity climate within their institutions, draft and implement institutional corruption risk management plans, and provide progress reports on the anti-corruption sectorial action plans and strategies applied in the healthcare sector. The series of trainings was dedicated to the most vulnerable sectors of the Republic of Moldova affected by corruption, namely the educational, medical, and agri-food sectors. The events were organised with the support of the project "Strengthening the Rule of Law and Anticorruption Mechanisms in the Republic of Moldova" co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale