The Perinatal Center at Ungheni District Hospital has been equipped with advanced medical equipment worth over 4 million lei. These new facilities were procured and donated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), with financial support from the United Kingdom, as part of the humanitarian response aimed at ensuring reproductive health for both refugees and the local population.
"Such events demonstrate our ongoing efforts to modernize the healthcare system because our citizens deserve the best medical services. Furthermore, medical staff also deserve excellent working conditions to perform according to international protocols and standards," stated Ala Nemerenco, Minister of Health of the Republic of Moldova.
"You've heard the saying: 'When a child is born, so is a mother.' You have the privilege of witnessing the magic of birth and the moment when a woman becomes a mother. I hope every woman who comes here feels at home, and I look forward to hearing beautiful stories of safe births from local women and the refugees from Ukraine, whom you have welcomed so generously," said Dr. Karina Nersesyan, UNFPA Resident Representative in Moldova.
With the support of development partners, the center has been outfitted with modern medical equipment, furniture, and supplies. These include a gynecological examination unit, two delivery rooms, a postoperative recovery room for women, a neonatal resuscitation room, the central operating block, the dining room, and rooms for mothers and medical staff, as well as the Blood Transfusion Section. Among the donated equipment are a neonatal CPAP ventilator, a four-section electric operating table, a fetal heart monitor with a cart, a medical air compressor, a portable ultrasound machine, and more.
Previously, with support from the European Union, the Perinatal Center in Ungheni received an A-type ambulance, ensuring the rapid transfer of women at risk of complications and preterm birth to higher-level perinatal centers.
"In 2023, the Level 2 Perinatal Center in Ungheni recorded 579 births, with 585 babies born. These numbers place us fourth at the district level, after Orhei, Edineț, and Cahul. The new equipment will provide us with safety and quality in obstetric care," noted Elvira Stati, Director of Ungheni District Hospital.
"We are proud to be part of this project and have succeeded in procuring state-of-the-art equipment benefiting both Moldovan women and Ukrainian refugees. The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to funding humanitarian activities that strengthen the resilience of Moldova's national systems," said Pippa Bown, Humanitarian Adviser, British Embassy in Moldova.
Over the past two years, UNFPA, in collaboration with other partners, has supported the Ministry of Health's efforts to enhance the resilience of Moldova's National Perinatal Health Service. Key interventions include equipping 12 perinatal centers with modern medical equipment, providing essential equipment and supplies for blood banks in emergency obstetric care units, delivering 29 ambulances, improving coordination mechanisms between national and subnational perinatal centers, and training health professionals in emergency obstetric case management.
