The Albanian government has announced it will receive a EUR 25 million loan to help it improve hospital infrastructure, digitise information and purchase new medical equipment.
The draft law “on the ratification of the loan agreement between the Republic of Albania and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development” was approved by the parliamentary committee on health on Monday (6 June), despite cynicism from the opposition.
Minister of Health Ogerta Manastirliu said the loan will be divided into three parts, “It is divided into three components; infrastructure improvement, improving health information management, monitoring, evaluation, project management, and technical assistance.”
The money will be used across several hospitals, such as the cardiac surgery hospital, the burns hospital, psychiatric facilities and the rehabilitation of Kruje and Lezha hospital.
The reason for the loan’s necessity includes the consequences of the 2019 earthquake and the National Strategy for Health 2021-2030.
Manastirliu added that another EUR 32 million was on its way for the implementation of a project with the World Bank.
Opposition voices, including LSI Petrit Vasili and PD Tritan Shehu, said there should be a concrete analysis of how the money is spent, also cautioning that the problems mentioned cannot simply be solved with EUR 25 million.
https://exit.al/en/2022/03/23/albania-breaches-social-charter-on-health-and-workers-rights/
