According to the Ministry of Health, against the background of the increasing number of surgeries performed, in which innovative methods are increasingly being introduced, the amount of medical waste is growing year by year, especially – after Covid-19. The share of hazardous waste (infectious, cutting and stabbing – needles, scalpels and other medical instruments, as well as pharmaceutical and chemical waste) is no more than 15% of the total volume.
According to Angela Paraskiv, state secretary of the Ministry of Health, the main problems arise in the management of anatomo-pathological and pharmaceutical waste. In the structure of hazardous waste, 5% is anatomo-pathological medical waste. According to the rules, they are subject to burial in cemeteries.
More waste – more refrigerators
However, since 2025, the Chisinau Municipal Enterprise “Combinat of Funeral Services” refused to accept and bury anatomo-pathological medical waste of the Institute of Emergency Medical Care in the cemetery “Doina”, as claimed by the administration of the Institute. And for a year the medical institution has been storing them on its territory, in refrigerated chambers. Refrigeration capacities were increased, additional equipment for storage was purchased. In 2023, the Institute budgeted 563,000 lei for waste management, in 2024 – 1,316,834 lei, in 2025 – 1,726,984 lei, and in 2026 – 1,800,000 lei.
Diana Mania, director of the Institute of Emergency Medical Care: “At the end of each year, we conclude contracts based on the results of public procurement with economic operators who take away medical waste. Hazardous waste is managed according to sanitary norms. However, anatomo-pathological waste causes serious problems: it is not sent for disposal during 2025 and we have to keep it frozen in the institution without a solution for its further management. We are in discussions with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment and are awaiting a solution.”
There were other operators who were willing to enter into contracts, but legislation does not allow companies other than public funeral services to do so.
– So do other medical facilities freeze waste as well? – MPs asked at a hearing of the parliamentary Commission on Environment, Climate and Green Transition.
– Yes, the situation is similar in Chisinau,” Mania replied.
“Priority investment project
According to the Environment Ministry, a feasibility study of the project for the creation of a Hazardous Waste Management Center is being developed. It is important not to confuse it with an “incineration center.”
“International and European hazardous waste management practices do not include anatomo-pathological medical waste. Nevertheless, we have foreseen this flow and will be able to accept it after the launch of the center,” said Grigore Stratulat, state secretary of the ministry.
The project is realized in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and is included in Moldova’s reform agenda as a “priority investment project”. It is planned to approve the feasibility study by the end of 2027, to create a responsible structure by 2028, and to complete the construction and launch of the center in 2028-2029.
Until then, it is necessary to find temporary solutions – other cemeteries or alternative burial sites. At the same time, some medical institutions have already found a way out and reached an agreement, including with the administrations of cemeteries in Hincesti and Straseni.
UPDATE 19 March 2026, 14:00
The Ministry of Health has issued a statement regarding the current situation, stating that it is actively working to find long-term solutions.
‘In accordance with the provisions of Government Decree No. 696/2018 on the approval of the Sanitary Regulations for the Management of Medical Waste, anatomical and pathological waste must be buried in cemeteries in specially designated areas, and in the absence of such areas, may be composted in special pits. This approach ensures the continuity of medical activities and compliance with public health requirements. At the same time, the Ministry of Health is actively working to find long-term solutions. Negotiations are currently underway with a Romanian business entity, which also operates in the Republic of Moldova, with a view to establishing a modern facility for the incineration of anatomical and pathological waste,” the Ministry of Health stated.
In parallel, the Ministry is liaising with healthcare facilities to ensure compliance with all regulations on the temporary storage of waste, in order to minimise risks to public health.
