Need to create a University Center for Palliative Care

The delivery of specialized palliative care services is a priority issue for the Republic of Moldova. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2019, approximately 37 thousand people died and about 22,300 of them might have needed palliative care.

Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy from the Republic of Moldova with the financial support of Soros Foundation-Moldova / Department of Public Health has started the implementation of a project in the field of sustainable and resilient palliative care at national level.

The results elucidated in the Analytical Note confirm the need to restructure palliative care services in medical institutions and the importance of creating a University Center for Palliative Care – a standard of professionalism and quality in the field of palliative medicine in our country. According to the authors of the document, the creation of a University Center for Palliative Care will have a medical and social impact through qualitative and interdisciplinary training of palliative care specialists, who will acquire communication, negotiation and counseling skills for work with patients with incurable illnesses and their families.

Thus, the University Palliative Care Center aims to expand the current infrastructure and training activities, continuing medical education and research within our institution, in order to achieve technology transfer and development of multidisciplinary palliative care services for patients with complex needs.

Among the objectives of the University Center for Palliative Care are:

• aligning the educational process, scientific research and clinical activity in the field of palliative care with the international standards;

• lifelong training in palliative care;

• providing high quality palliative services;

• recruitment, maintenance and development of professional and competitive human resources;

• application of an efficient, participatory, transparent, result-based management system, adaptable to the needs of academic community and external environment;

• strengthening international cooperation in the fields of training, scientific research, clinical activity, and internationalization of the study process through academic mobility and development of partnerships in palliation.

Sustainable and resilient palliative care at national level project is implemented by Nicolae Testemitanu University in partnership with the Association of Medical Students and Residents and Healthy Principles Public Association, between December 2020-December 2022.