“The family doctor and his or her team serve as the gateway to the healthcare system for every patient. The goal of this reform is to improve the public’s access to medical care through family doctors,” Ion Dodon said in an interview.
The reform is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. One of its components involves the administrative reorganization of certain small health centers in sparsely populated areas, where one or two doctors work. These centers may be managed jointly with other medical centers to ensure the continuity of service delivery.
“What is a patient supposed to do when their doctor is on vacation? If they get sick, they may be left without reimbursable medications, their condition may worsen, or they may be forced to pay for treatment out of their own pocket. As a result, they end up in the hospital, and costs rise,” Dodon explained.
At the same time, the authorities are seeking to reduce the number of avoidable hospitalizations by improving the efficiency of primary care and outpatient services. Currently, about half of the healthcare system’s budget goes to hospitals, and in the medium term, this share should be reduced.
“The level of funding for hospitals should decrease over the next 5–7 years from half of the budget to approximately 40%. This will not only generate savings but also allow us to redirect resources toward prevention, outpatient services, medications, and diagnostics,” he said.
According to the CNAM’s director general, the agency aims to procure services in a way that yields tangible results: “In other words, to buy fewer services and more health.”
