REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025

19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025

Thematic Panel:

Health and Medical Services in the Moldova Region

Speaker:

Diana Grosu – President of the Human Rights Association Lex XXI

Topic of Intervention:
“The Role of Medical Unions in Ensuring High Quality Healthcare Services”

Diana Grosu, president of the Human Rights Association Lex XXI, emphasized the necessity of a genuine balance between infrastructure development, respect for patients’ rights, and protection of medical staff rights. Her intervention stood out for its deep and realistic approach to the current challenges in the healthcare systems of Romania and the Republic of Moldova, focusing on the importance of active communication among employees, authorities, and civil society.

The Medical Staff – The Invisible Foundation of Health Reforms

Diana Grosu highlighted, right from the beginning of her intervention, the need for a balanced approach in healthcare sector reforms. While she welcomed significant investments in medical infrastructure – modernization of buildings, technical equipment, and rehabilitation of hospital units – she stressed that such progress cannot produce sustainable results without qualified, motivated, and respected medical personnel.

“The buildings are wonderful, it is fantastic that renovations are being done, but if we don’t have qualified personnel who want to serve the patient and provide quality services, then we have a big problem.”

In her opinion, a modern healthcare system must operate as an integrated ecosystem, where patients’ rights and medical staff rights are equally guaranteed and supported, through coherent policies, institutional communication, and authentic human valorization.

Unions – The Essential Link Between Medical Staff and Authorities

Diana Grosu highlighted the essential role of medical unions, presenting them as legitimate instruments for representing employees’ interests in relations with the Ministry of Health and hospital management. According to her, structured and constant institutional dialogue among all involved parties is essential for improving working conditions in the healthcare system.

“There is a need for very good representation of doctors and medical workers and open communication with the authorities. Problems must be identified and solved on time.”

She also emphasized that social dialogue should not be limited to salary aspects but should include dimensions such as mental health of staff, organizational climate, professional respect, and real mechanisms for consultation and feedback. Only in this way can a favorable environment for performance and retention in the system be created.

Mental Health of Medical Staff – A Growing Priority

Diana Grosu highlighted the importance of paying increased attention to the mental health of medical staff, welcoming recent examples from the Republic of Moldova, where hospital infrastructure rehabilitation projects increasingly include spaces dedicated to relaxation and recovery of medical personnel. In her view, this is evidence that employees’ well-being is beginning to be perceived as an essential component of medical quality.

“It is an important step that emphasis is also placed on the mental health of medical staff. Finally, things have started moving in the right direction.”

She stressed that this direction must not only be encouraged but institutionalized through coherent public policies that actively include trade unions in the decision-making process as strategic partners, not merely passive observers.

Conclusions: Medical Staff Rights – The Foundation of Quality in the Healthcare System

In closing her intervention, Diana Grosu emphasized that a sustainable and performant healthcare system cannot be conceived without constant respect for and protection of medical staff rights. Recognizing unions as active partners in dialogue and reform is essential for building a stable, fair, and motivating professional environment.

From the perspective of the Human Rights Association Lex XXI, ensuring quality healthcare services must start with investing in people – through coherent policies, genuine consultation with staff representatives, and the creation of a healthy organizational climate.