On Tuesday, Prime Minister Edi Rama told emergency medical staff in Lezha they were not eligible for the €1,000 a month bonus promised by the government.
Lezha medical staff are protesting the fact that they did not receive the monthly bonus promised by the government. Instead, they only received a €40 bonus.
Rama tweeted in response, that the €1,000 bonus would only be received by doctors and nurses in “the frontline”, that is those in direct contact with infected persons, and not by any emergency medical professional. He also alleged that the opposition was using the pandemic to further its political interests by urging medical staff to demand bonuses.
On March 10, 2020, the government decreed a €1,000 bonus “for medical staff, epidemiological public health specialists, lab nurses and specialists, that are involved in diagnosing and treating persons affected by COVID-19” as well as a €500 bonus “for supporting staff, employed in institutions where persons affected by COVID-19 are treated,” which would leave out personnel in hospitals outside Tirana.
Lezha emergency medical staff, however, contended that they are at risk and should be considered as being in the frontline, as they handle dozens of patients that may be infected with coronavirus, every day. Additionally, they lack some personal protective equipment, and thus risk their health every day.
It is worth noting that dozens of medical staff in the Durres, Fier, Korca, Lushnje, and Lezha hospitals have had contact with infected persons. Some of them have also been infected themselves, as a result.
