The new digital radiological device allows rapid diagnosis.

They maintain public order and people’s safety, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) take care of their health. Over 11,000 police officers performing their duties benefit from better conditions of diseases’ treatment and control, after endowment of the MAI Medical Service with cutting-edge medical equipment. This was possible thanks to a project implemented by UNDP, from financial resources allocated by the MIA, the MIA Medical Service and UNDP.

The several decades old devices have been replaced by modern medical equipment, including a digital X-ray machine, which was installed in a ground-floor office of the Health Center and allows for rapid and efficient examination of numerous patients. Besides the lungs’ radiography, which is taken by all MIA employees once per year on binding basis, the new equipment also performs radiography tests for other organs, like in case of traumatisms. The old device registered a high level of irradiation, was envisaged just for one single medical procedure and was over 40 years old. Because of its wear and tear, the device got frequently broken down, and the administration of the institution was expected for it to totally get out of order in one or two years.

According to Dr. Condratie Bivol, after installing the new equipment, over 1,000 persons have passed the prophylaxis test. “The new device is much more efficient and quick, it has powerful filters for protection against irradiation. The difference is felt not only by the patients of the institution, but also by its employees,” states the doctor.

One of the patients of the health center, Petru Dvininov, retired from MIA, remarks that the new devices make life easier for doctors, but also for people coming here for treatment or medical consultation. “Recently, after getting a leg trauma, I went to the doctor. The X-ray examination lasted for less than 5 minutes, and the diagnosis was set in a very short period, while before with those old devices, it lasted for much longer,” states the patient.

Another purchased equipment is the last-generation fibrogastroscope, which facilitates patients’ check-up within the health center. This device is used to diagnose persons suffering from digestive system disorders, which are rather frequent among police employees.

“About 30% of the conditions identified during the police officers’ annual check-up would be digestive system disorders: gastritis, ulcers, etc., caused by unhealthy food and stress. With the new equipment we can perform about seven-eight complex examinations per day, allowing us to establish the exact diagnosis, and subsequently to prescribe adequate treatment,” explains Marian Ojog, the Head of Surgery Section within the MIA Health Center.

With UNDP support, several medical devices were replaced in the surgery block, intensive therapy, and anesthesia section of the hospital. Four monitors for permanent supervision of respiration, heart and breathing frequency in patients under intensive therapy make the section proud. Two modern devices for anesthesia were purchased, as the old ones had a high level of anesthesia medication consumption, a part being lost during surgeries.

“No surgery can be performed without anesthesia. The new machines allow controlling better the patient’s conditions during the surgery and dosing better the anesthetics medication. The device also performs one of the lungs’ function,” mentions Octavian Ciorici, the Head of the Intensive Therapy Department.

A multifunctional surgery table was procured and installed, which allows the positioning of the patient depending on the specifics of the case. One laryngoscope was purchased – a device used during general anesthesia process, one electro-coagulator, which rapidly eliminates the micro-hemorrhages, one surgical aspirator for physiological liquids which are discharged during surgeries, and one surgery lamp.

“These are state-of-art technologies, which should be present in any modern medical institution, being also part of the standard toolkit. These are first-need items for a surgeon to be able to perform interventions. The outdated equipment may create certain difficulties for the medical personnel to monitor patients’ vital functions,” notes Andrei Uncuta, the Head of MIA Medical Service.

Within UNDP support, endowment with equipment for complex interventions in the otorhinolaryngology area was possible, by procuring new devices for endoscopic diagnosis and surgeries. The management decided to purchase a higher-capacity autoclave for sterilization of medical tools.

The MIA Medical Service Hospital is a six-floor institution with 160 beds capacity, and the last investments in equipment were made ten years ago. The MIA Medical Service supervises over 24,000 persons: police officer, retired from MIA and their families, as well as employees of other state institutions. Only during the first nine months of 2018, over 2,500 patients were hospitalized, of whom about 1,000 – in the surgery section.

In total, during 2017-2018, medical equipment was procured for a total value of 463,749 USD, of which 256,652 USD were allocated from the Medical Service budget and 207,097 USD were allocated form the MIA budget.

The modernization of the MIA Medical Service is undertaken under the “Strengthening capacities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its internal subdivisions for the effective implementation of the sector reform agenda” Project, which was launched in January 2017, with a cumulative budget of 1,893,422 USD, from the MIA and beneficiary subdivisions’ contribution, as well as the co-financing from UNDP Moldova. The general aim of the project is to contribute to strengthening the operation and functional framework of the MIA for efficient, transparent and inclusive implementation of sector reforms in the field of public order, civil protection, border security, migration and asylum in line with the national priorities and international commitments.