The Hippocrates Center is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization, which practices according to the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova. The Center was established on the 16 December 2000 under License Number 1600 of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova.The Centre was founded in Chisinau, in 1998, with the wholehearted help of Tony Hawks, a well-known British writer and comedian, and the support of the British philanthropic organization CRR (ChildAid to Russia and the Republics, known as ChildAid). The centre takes a medical and social approach to helping the children.

The mission of our center is to improve the quality of health of children from marginalized communities who suffer from chronic illnesses by increasing their access to high quality medical recovery services in order to facilitate their efficient integration into society.

The main objectives of the Hippocrates Center are:

1. To provide medical recovery services to children with chronic conditions by means of non-invasive, low-cost recovery methods such as physycal therapy, occupational therapy, massage, electrotherapy, orthotics;

2. To provide parents with educational services in regard to selection of efficient recovery and treatment methods appropriate for their child/children;

3. To develop and provide health promotional and educational leaflets for parents and caregivers of children with chronic diseases.

Our Mission …

To improve the health of children with chronic conditions who live in socially vulnerable families by increasing the children’s access to rehabilitation services and educating their parents.

Who Benefits …

Children from birth up to the age of 15 who have chronic neuromuscular, skeletal, cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses that have been previously diagnosed at a specialized medical institution.

Our Key Principles …

1. Access to services should be based on children’s needs;

2. Information and educative material should be available for the parents and caregivers of children with chronic illnesses;

3. People with physical problems should be respected;

4. Promote respect in society towards people with physical problems and understanding that these people can contribute to society and lead a satisfying life, and that the medical approach applied in many cases is not always an adequate one;

5. Decision autonomy for people with physical problems should be encouraged;

6. Recovery services should be located near the children who need them.

Our Projects …

• “Tony Hawks for Moldovan Children”, with the support of ChildAid, 2001-2007.
• “Physiotherapeutic Help at Home,” 2004-2007.
• “Popularisation of Physiotherapeutic Methods of Treatment in Children With Locomotion Disabilities,” October 2003-March 2004.
• “Physiotherapy Facilities in Schools and Kindergartens,” 2006-2009.
• “I Am Helping My Child,” June-December 2006.

The admnistration board

The team

Covalciuc Diana, executive director, pediatrician-rehabilitation doctor
Cepoi Corina, financial director
Diaconu Valeria, neurologist
Onofrei Lilia, physical therapist
Cijov Oxana, physical therapist
Carp Veronica, assistant physical therapist
Cernat Nadejda, assistant physiotherapist
Bogdan Ludmila, assistant physical therapist
Vita Galina, psychilogist
Marinov Ala, occupational therapist
Novacshinov Irina, speech therapist
Driver

Why Hippocrates?

In Ancient Greece, there was a tradition of development of physical qualities, participation in sports that was considered very important. In the book "About Joints" Hippocrates, the "father of medicine", wrote: "Organs maintain their functional properties through utilization and adequate exercise. All those that behave in this way, will stay healthy in harmonious development and enjoy a long youth".

Hippocrates was among the first to realize the relation between movement and muscles; and immobility and muscular atrophy. Hippocrates intuitively realized this and applied functional rehabilitation as preventative treatment.

History

In 1998, while talking to brilliant British writer Tony Hawks who had visited Moldova in order to collect material for his book "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis ", we mourned the bitter destiny of our small and poor country Moldova, at the crossroads of the times. Until that time it was impossible to receive any help from nongovernmental organisations. But, gradually, there were some NGO's that helped our work. Now, NGO’s actively take part in the decision-making process about problems in the community, offer services from different spheres of activity, look out for the wellbeing of the most vulnerable people in society, and support suffering people. Where political instability and the free market cannot support those that are socially vulnerable, the creation of a small center with medico-social inclination seemed pertinent to us. Then, philanthropic Tony Hawks and the charitable organization ChildAid from the Great Britain, helped us. Since 2001 Hippocrates Centre has offered specialized medical services of rehabilitation to children with chronic diseases from Chisinau and the surrounding areas. On average a 120 children annually are treated at the Centre, taking part in rehabilitation programs with the use of physical, non-invasive methods.

Since its first year of activity the Hippocrates Centre has succeded in gaining the trust of all those involved in medical aid programs. It is one of several medico-social NGO’s in Republic of Moldova that offers services of rehabilitation to children with disabilities from socially vulnerable families.

1998 – Tony Hawks’s first visit in Moldova.
1999 – The second meeting with Tony Hawks – Brashov, Romania.
2000 – Registration of the nongovernmental organization Hippocrates Centre.
2004 – Creation of the center of medical rehabilitation for children with chronic diseases from social vulnerable families.

THANKS TO...

• Tony Hawks – famous British writer and comedian, the author of best-seller "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" (www.tony-hawks.com, www.probablyperu.com)
• ChildAid, charity organization from Great Britain (www.childaidrr.org.uk)
• First Congregational United Church, Billings, Montana, USA

• Lord John McCluskey
• Lord Dubs
• Sir Tim Rice
• Barbara & Walt Gulick
• Bridget Goodman
• Shea Roggio
• Rosa Boesch
• Barbara Carthew
• Art, Patricia and Ann Plowman
• Graham
• Alan Daujeaun
• Steven and Brandan Knowlton
• Karen Freeman
• Emma McLenon
• Inga and Carlo Draghi (www.justgiving.com/INGAandCARLO)

• CESO, Canada
• "Medecins Sans Frontieres", France
• NorthWest Medical Teams, USA

• Micul Samaritean
• Xerox Company Moldova
• Custom Department of Republic of Moldova
• Berlin Chemie, MENARINI Group
• Training centre "Communication, Management & Business"
• M-Interfarma
• Sedico
• Shtefancu Com SRL
• Vesartis
• Coramdeo

• National Medical Insurance Company, Republic of Moldova
• Soros Foundation Moldova