More than 40,000 health sector employees to receive higher salaries by 30 per cent as of 1 january 2021

Chisinau, 22 December /MOLDPRES/ - The medical employees from Moldova starting from 1 January 2021 will receive higher salaries by 30 per cent again. The Ion Chicu government today approved the secondary normative framework, so as this increase could be implemented, the government’s communication and protocol department has reported.  

To pay increased salaries, about 1.12 billion lei is provided for in the budget. This decision regards over 40,000 health sector employees.  

Also, the draft sees a 3-per cent increase in the office salaries for the administrative and economic staff, analogical to the one from the public sector. Additionally, the draft proposes the providing of supplement for night work for the medical staff who works in the subdivisions for prematures. About 76.6 thousand lei is envisaged for on this purpose annually.

The expenses needed for 2021 represent about 1, 119, 326.2 thousand lei, of which1 102, 255.1 lei for the 30-per cent increase in salaries and 17, 071.1 thousand lei for the increase in office salaries by 3 per cent for the administrative and economic personnel.     

Thus, during nine months, the government led by Ion Chicu increased the salaries of medical employees by 70 per cent.

„In full swing of pandemic crisis and despite an austere budget and bad weather conditions, we have managed to earmark an important sum of money to increase the salaries of medical staff, due to a judicious redistribution of revenues and wise turning to account of budget resources, as a result of a wise and balanced fiscal policy,’’ PM Ion Chicu said.

The first growth took place on 1 April 2020, when about 49,400 health sector employees received higher salaries by 10 per cent. The physicians, medium medical staff, inferior medical staff, administrative and economic personnel, as well as the directors of medical institutions benefited from increased salaries. As much as 299 million lei was allocated to this end.   

On 10 April 2020, the National Extraordinary Public health Commission established the earmarking of a monthly increase of up to one basic salary, for the compensation of the work carried out in conditions of high risk to health. The provisions regarded the medical staff involved in the supervision, control and treatment of the COVID-19 infection on the period of the emergency state, as well as the employees of the Interior Ministry (MAI), Defence Ministry and others, involved in actions of prevention and control of the COVID-19 infection.

Starting from 1 September 2020, the Chicu government again increased the salaries for medical employees. This time, the salaries grew by 30 per cent. As many as 452,918 medical sector employees benefited from increased salaries; it is about physicians, medical assistants, nurses, as well as drivers of the ambulances from the Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Assistance Service and the drivers of sanitary vehicles from the AVISAN service.  

Under the same decision, the salaries of physicians and department heads increased by 50-90 per cent, taking into consideration each one’s professional performance. If they are involved in the treatment of patients sick with COVID-19, the salaries are increased by 100 per cent. Almost 363 million lei was earmarked to increase the salaries of medical employees starting from 1 September.

"This is an absolutely necessary action, if we want everybody to have a robust health care system and cease the exodus of physicians from Moldova. This is the third increase in the last 8 months, absolutely well-deserved. I think that we should continue these increases. In the context, I want to thank the physicians who everything they have done in this difficult year,’’ Chicu said.

The cabinet allocated more than 1.8 billion lei in 2020 and for 2021 for increasing the salaries for the medical staff from Moldova.

photo: Government