Timofei Moșneaga

Timofei Moșneaga (6 March 1932 – 1 June 2014) was a Soviet and Moldovan physician and politician who served as the Minister of Health of Moldova from 1994 to 1997. He was the Director of the Republican Clinical Hospital for over forty years (1960–2003). As of 2017, the hospital is named after him.

Early life
Timofei Moșneaga was born on 6 March 1932 in Corjova, Dubăsari District to Vasile and Eufrosenia Moșneaga. He was one of eight children, having four sisters and three brothers.

He attended primary school in his home village, then secondary school in Dubăsari. In the period 1947–1950 he attended the School of Medical Assistants in Bender and, after graduation, the Faculty of General Medicine of Chișinău State Institute of Medicine. In 1959, after he had obtained his medical diploma, Moșneaga was admitted to doctoral studies. Shortly after finishing his studies, he defended the thesis in medical sciences and afterwards was conferred the academic rank of associate professor.

Career
In early 1960, at the age of 27, he was appointed Director of the Republican Clinical Hospital. Moșneaga held the position for over four decades and made an essential contribution to the development of the institution. The old hospital in adapted buildings during the post-war period did not meet the standards of specialized assistance. Therefore, the new Director became interested in building a new hospital. Finally, after considerable efforts, the hospital was put into operation.

Shortly, specialized departments for patients with somatic and surgical diseases endowed with up-to-date medical technologies, including equipment for the modern method of lithotripsy of kidney stones, opened at the RCH. Departments of gastric surgery, proctology, vascular surgery, paediatric cardiac surgery and endoscopic surgery were established in the surgical building. The Department of Medical Diagnosis was equipped with up-to-date equipment, thus, establishing offices of magnetic resonance tomography, the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Bacteriological Laboratory, the Department of Angiography of Peripheral Vessels and Cardio angiography.

Moșneaga made a great contribution to the creation of proper conditions for teaching, scientific and clinical activities carried out at 15 chairs of the Chișinău Institute of Medicine.

He has published circa 150 scientific papers, including 3 monographs, as well as educated 16 Doctors of Medicine.

In 1980 Moldovan filmmaker Anatol Codru produced a biopic about Timofei Moșneaga titled My Life's Dream (Romanian: Visul vieții mele). The music for the film was composed by Arkady Luxemburg. For the design and construction of the new building of the Republican Clinical Hospital, Moșneaga was awarded the title of Laureate of the State Prize of the Moldavian SSR in literature, arts and architecture (1982).

In 2002, in honour of Moșneaga's 70th birthday, Moldovan publicist Ion Stici wrote a biography titled Timofei Moșneaga – The People's Doctor (Romanian: Medicul poporului Timofei Moșneaga).

For outstanding merits in his professional activity, Moșneaga was awarded the honorary titles of Merited Doctor of the Moldavian SSR, People's Doctor of the USSR and received high state distinctions, among which the Order of the Republic. In 2003, he was awarded the title of Honorary Director of the Republican Clinical Hospital.

Political career
In 1957, he was elected Member of the Chișinău City Council.

In 1989, Moșneaga was elected People's Deputy of the Soviet Union and was a member of the Supreme Soviet Committee on Foreign Affairs. He, alongside Eugen Doga, were the only members of the Moldavian faction that penned an open letter to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, condemning the separatist movement brewing in Transnistria at the time. Following Moldova's proclamation of independence, he was appointed leader of the Moldovan group of special observers in the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In 1994, he was elected Member of the Moldovan Parliament, being a member of the Committee for Social Protection, Healthcare and Ecology.

In the period 1994–1997, Moșneaga served as the Minister of Health of Moldova. During his term as minister, he advocated for the preservation of the national medical heritage, strengthening the efficiency of the country's medical personnel and health institutions. He worked with the Japanese government to attract investments into the national healthcare system and as a result, a large part of hospitals across Moldova were equipped with Siemens' state-of-the-art medical equipment. In 1995, the Health Ministry headed by Moșneaga elaborated the National Healthcare Law, which, to this day, regulates the activity of the Moldovan healthcare system. During his mandate, he established relations with the World Health Organization, whose regional office was opened in Chișinău.

Personal life
Timofei Moșneaga was married to Maria Moșneaga (née Burlacu) an obstetrician-gynaecologist, Doctor of Medicine, recipient of the Order of Work Glory. They had two sons.

Legacy
Moșneaga passed away on 1 June 2014 in Chișinău.

His bust stands among 41 other distinguished doctors on the Alley of Brilliant Scientists and Doctors in Chișinău, near the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

As of 19 July 2017, per the Moldovan Cabinet's decision, the Republican Clinical Hospital bears the name of Timofei Moșneaga.

On 6 October 2017, in honour of the RCH's 200th anniversary, a bas-relief commemorating Timofei Moșneaga was installed at the hospital's main entrance.