Every day and night, Matei and his mother Mariana are separated by a glass wall in the premature ward of the Mother Child Institute (Institute) in Chisinau, Moldova. Despite the glass wall, the bond between mother and the baby transcends words. Their journey to the Institute has been a harrowing one:
“I arrived at the Institute on May 5 and Matei came into this world the next day,” shares 26-year-old Mariana. “It has been almost four months since this place became our home as Matei has been in the neonatal intensive care unit since his birth. He weighed only 1.2 kg, and now he is almost 3 kg. Unfortunately, he is still here, because besides the low weight, our little boy also has a respiratory disorder.”
The Mother and Child Institute is Moldova’s only national referral healthcare facility specializing in obstetrics, gynaecology, neonatology, and pediatrics. Supported by the UN in Moldova, the Institute is dedicated to managing the most complex and critical medical cases affecting women and children. Women from across the country facing high-risk pregnancies complicated by conditions such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and eclampsia seek specialized care here. The Institute also provides emergency care for premature babies and newborns with severe health conditions.
As a medical professional, Mariana chose this maternity hospital to ensure the safety of herself and her child. To her surprise, the facility was much more advanced and well-equipped than she had imagined.
“I have lived with diabetes since I was six. As a doctor, I knew that my pregnancy wouldn't be easy. I was closely monitored at the Institute, but everything changed when I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia at 28 weeks. My blood pressure soared, and there was a terrifying risk that my baby might suffocate. I had to undergo an emergency C-section. It was overwhelming, but I knew that this was the only way to protect my baby,” she said.
Her C-section was performed in one of the operating rooms refurbished and equipped with cutting-edge medical equipment and essential instruments provided by the UN agencies in Moldova. These facilities are specifically designed to handle childbirth and high-risk cases.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly strained Moldova's healthcare system, limiting access to essential services and contributing to a rise in maternal mortality. Infant mortality also remained alarmingly high, approximately three times higher than the European Union average. In response, UN agencies in Moldova mobilized under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator and guided by the Cooperation Framework to strengthen the country’s healthcare system. This comprehensive initiative focused on ensuring universal access to quality care, enhancing resilience to emergencies, and improving in-patient services. Between 2021 and 2023, these coordinated efforts delivered promising results: mortality rates at the Institute decreased from 0.44 to 0.36 per cent and the rate in the neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) dropped from 9.3 to 7.5 per cent. These positive outcomes highlight the critical role of the UN's ongoing efforts in addressing Moldova’s healthcare challenges and advancing maternal and child health outcomes.
Mariana and Matei's journey to a life beyond the hospital was far from over, and the Institute remained a crucial source of support for the family.
“At first, I was afraid to touch my baby. When you are pregnant, you imagine your baby sleeping in a beautiful crib at home. Instead, my baby was intubated and surrounded with wires and equipment. It was a shock for me. Thanks to the psychologist at the hospital, I was able to start changing Matei’s diapers, cuddle and feed him. Of course, I cry sometimes, but I remind myself that Matei can sense my feelings,” Mariana explained.
Matei shares his room with six other newborns. Behind the transparent walls, symmetrically arranged incubators protect some of the smallest babies born in Moldova. State-of-the-art monitors track temperature, oxygen saturation, heart rate and other vital signs with precision. Any change in the patients’ vital signs prompts Dr. Natalia Prodan, a dedicated neonatologist pediatrician, and her team to swiftly intervene.
“Premature newborns are more fragile than full-term babies. For this reason, it is important to monitor carefully any detail linked to thermal instability,” explained Dr. Prodan.
Modern technology plays a crucial role in caring for babies like Matei. Dr. Podan highlighted the transformative impact these investments had since she joined the hospital: “Six years ago, when I first started working as a resident, we didn’t have this advanced equipment. It was much harder to do our job. For instance, the monitors didn’t even alert us when their batteries were low. Now, this modern equipment makes our job easier and helps us save lives.”
Support from UN agencies has been instrumental in refurbishing and equipping the neonatal intensive care and resuscitation units. This joint effort, led by UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO, in collaboration with Moldova’s Ministry of Health, modernized the facility and strengthened its capacity to provide high-quality care. In 2023 alone, over 40,500 babies and pregnant women, including Ukrainian refugees, benefited from these enhanced services at the Institute.
“After I feed Matei, I leave him with the nurses, entrusting them completely. But the moment I walk away, I start to miss him and look at his photos, count the hours until I can return to his ward and hold him again. And every time I think about returning home, my heart fills with hope,” Mariana said, ready to face a new day.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations, Geneva
