An elderly Albanian woman who was removed from her home by relatives and was living on the street has been given medical treatment in a hospital in Saranda.
URGJENTE! NDIHMË! Në fshatin e Piqerrasit, në këtë parmak gurësh dhe hijen e pemës së fikut, jeton e moshuara…
Gepostet von Xheni Karaj am Montag, 24. August 2020
Lefteria who is 80 years old was discovered by human rights activist Xheni Karaj and her friends, while they were on holiday in the south of the country. The woman was sleeping on stones some 20 metres from the house she once lived in. Karaj observed that she was suffering from visible physical issues and required immediate treatment.
The woman said that she had been living in a nearby property with her brother and his wife until her brother died. It was then alleged that the widow had made Lefteria leave the property with nowhere to go. Residents in the village told the media that the woman had been referred for specialist medical care in Vlore. The hospital refused to keep her as she was difficult to take care of.
She was then released into the care of her brother’s widow who also received money to take care of her.
Communications from Vlora social services, seen by Exit, confirmed that they gave caretaker custody to the wife and that it was not their responsibility. There did not appear to be any monitoring of the situation taking place.
The wife then made the elderly lady leave the home but allegedly retained the money that was supposed to be used to take care of her. She told the media that it was her choice to stay like that as she didn’t want to go to a psychiatric hospital.
When asked for her version of events, the wife said she is “insane” and ‘doesn’t like me”. She added that the woman is too sick and needs special care that she cannot provide. When asked about the money including the pension meant for Lefteria, she declined to comment.
Following public attention on her case, Lefteria was transported via ambulance to the hospital. It is not known what will happen to her once her treatment is completed. Karaj is planning to lobby the relevant state structures to request ongoing support and help for the woman.
