Between June 4 and July 9, 90 emergency doctors, paramedics, and medical assistants from pre-hospital emergency medical care across the country will participate in a training program focused on the clinical management of rape cases. This training is organized by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, in collaboration with the Mother and Child Institute and the Center for Emergency Medical Care, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Government of the United States of America.
"It is very important that medical personnel provide quick and quality help to victims of sexual abuse. Continuing education and professional training of doctors is essential so that they know how to provide first aid, how to treat and support rape victims, respecting their dignity and providing them with emotional support. This can make a big difference in recovery and obtaining justice for the victims," said Victoria Ciubotaru, gynecologist at the Mother and Child Institute.
The training program consists of four modules presented by national experts. These modules cover the basic principles and stages of providing post-rape and first-line medical care, counseling and psychological support for rape victims, and the role of the health system in collecting evidence for medico-legal purposes in cases of rape and other sex crimes.
“Medical personnel are the first point of contact for a rape victim and it is imperative that we act professionally so that victims of sexual abuse feel safe in every way. This training helps us to improve our knowledge of how to provide complex support to rape victims, from emergency medical assistance to psychological help, but also aspects of collecting evidence for medico-legal purposes in the case of sex crimes", said Valentina Vasilieva-Railean, doctor of emergency, Head of the Emergency Medical Assistance substation in the Buiucani sector, Chisinau.
According to Cornelia Vintea-Creciun, program analyst for sexual and reproductive health within the UNFPA humanitarian response: "Over the past two years, UNFPA has strengthened the capacity of multidisciplinary teams of medical professionals by supporting the implementation of the Standardized Clinical Protocol for Rape Case Management. In 2024, we emphasized training specialists in emergency medical assistance by organizing six training sessions for doctors and paramedics. Additionally, we focused on familiarizing medical personnel with the provisions of the national protocol, highlighting the importance of the first interaction with the victim and centering assistance on the needs of rape survivors, which is crucial to their recovery."
