“I Have Hope Again”: How an Online Medical Consultation Helped a Ukrainian Mother of Five Living in Căușeni

When you are far from home, knowing that you do not have to face your difficulties alone can mean everything. This is especially true when your child's health is at stake, and worry and uncertainty leave you searching for answers. At moments like these, what matters is not only receiving professional medical advice, but also feeling heard, understood and supported in finding a way forward.

For families living far from major cities, where specialist doctors and larger medical facilities are concentrated, accessing healthcare can be a serious challenge. Today, however, technology is helping bring medical care closer to those who need it.

We visited Căușeni, where Zamfira Clara, a mother of five, received her first online medical consultation concerning her daughter Zlata's health. The consultation took place as part of a project organized by WHO Moldova with the support of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova. Her story is one of a mother's concern, a long search for answers, and the hope that emerged from a single conversation with a specialist.

Zamfira's family came from the village of Udobne in Ukraine's Odesa region. They have been living in Căușeni for almost three years. Raising five children, Zamfira struggled for a long time to find the medical support her daughter Zlata needed.

Several years ago, she noticed changes in her daughter's walking pattern. By 2024, a visible deformity had developed in Zlata's foot. Physical activity became increasingly difficult for the girl, particularly during physical education classes.

For Zamfira, this was a constant source of concern. Caring for five children takes up most of her time, and she has no one to look after them while she regularly travels to Chișinău for her daughter's medical examinations. Her husband is rarely able to visit the family, making these journeys even more difficult.

Despite these challenges, the family repeatedly sought medical advice. While living in Poland, they faced a long wait for an appointment with a specialist. Later, Zamfira sought help in Chișinău, purchased orthopedic insoles and followed recommended exercises with her daughter. Yet she still lacked a clear understanding of what was causing the problem and what steps to take next.

“I keep going from one doctor to another, but I still don't know what the outcome is or what direction we should take next,” Zamfira explains.

Her greatest fear was that her daughter's condition might worsen. She wanted to understand the problem and find out what examinations or treatment Zlata needed.

Zamfira learned about the opportunity to receive an online medical consultation through the school attended by four of her children. She agreed, although she had never used this type of healthcare service before.

“It was my first time, and I was nervous. I didn't know what to say, what to talk about, or whether I would manage. But everything went very well,” she recalls.

During the consultation, a local healthcare professional was there to support her, helping her present the available medical records and explain her daughter's condition to the doctor joining remotely.

This personal support made a real difference. Zamfira felt comfortable describing her concerns, asking questions and discussing the next steps.

Most importantly, the consultation resulted in a clear plan of action.
The very next morning, Zamfira and her daughter were invited to a local medical facility for further consultations and examinations, including the necessary imaging. If needed, the next step would be a referral to specialists in Chișinău.

The final medical assessment is still to come, but Zamfira now knows where to turn and how to move forward.

When asked what had changed after the consultation, she answered in just a few words: “I have hope again.”

For a mother of five, being able to consult a specialist without travelling to the capital is particularly valuable.

Zamfira believes that many other families, older people and those facing transport or other barriers to healthcare could benefit from similar services.

Her advice to other Ukrainian families is not to turn down new opportunities, even when they initially seem unfamiliar:

“You have to seize every opportunity, every moment. You have to keep moving forward.”

The pilot online consultation project, developed by WHO in Moldova with the support of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, aims to make specialist medical care more accessible to people living far from major healthcare centres.

An online consultation cannot always replace an in-person appointment, but it can be an important first step towards receiving timely medical care.

Because sometimes the distance between a patient and a doctor is measured not in kilometres, but in the chance to finally find an answer to a question that has been weighing on their mind for so long.

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