Following the suicides of four patients that were being treated for COVID-19 in Tirana’s hospitals, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that it’s not just a phenomenon that is happening in Albania.
In a press conference, Rama said that there have been cases of doctors committing suicide in hospitals in Russia, patients in hospitals killing themselves in Ukraine, and a 100% increase in emergency calls for psychological problems in the US.
“Three Russian doctors have committed suicide by jumping out of hospital windows after experiencing the emotional stress of fear warned by health experts.
From September 21 to October, four patients committed suicide in Ukrainian hospitals.”
He added that the increase in the number of suicides in the country has increased by 32% since the start of the pandemic.
While it is certainly true that there are cases of suicide in other countries, even in hospitals, the number in Albania remains high.
Rama said that four patients committed suicide in Ukrainian hospitals- the same number as Albania. Ukraine has a population of over 41 million people, almost 15 times that of Albania.
In terms of the three doctors in Russia who took their lives, Russia has 144.5 million people and more than 704,000 doctors. Again, this is significantly higher than Albania.
Therefore, the fact that a similar number of suicides have taken place in other countries, does not justify the cases here. If anything, it confirms that there is a serious issue in Albania that requires immediate and direct attention.
The Ministry of Health has still not responded to questions regarding. protocols in place to prevent suicide and assistance being given to patients regarding the preservation of their mental health.
