Albania, tumor diseases and weaknesses of the health system in their treatment

2024-06-29 21:00:00, Sociale CNA

Albania, tumor diseases and weaknesses of the health system in their treatment

Oncology Hospital

In Albania, about 6 thousand new cases are identified every year with tumor diseases. And while the number of patients with these diseases is increasing, a report of KLSH highlights many weaknesses of the health system in their treatment. Some have to do with shortages of medical staff, drugs and medical equipment or centralization of services. These weaknesses were recently added to a scheme of abuse with tumor patients, where it is thought that several doctors of the Oncology Hospital in Tirana were also involved. The Voice of America brings an analysis of this situation through the findings of an audit of the Supreme State Control, affected patients, their families and doctors.

In the premises of the Oncology Hospital in Tirana, the struggle between life and death is perhaps stronger than anywhere else. But deficiencies in service delivery make it tougher and more painful. Tens of hundreds of citizens from all over the country receive services every day in this health institution, from chemotherapy, radiotherapy, consultations or various checks. In Albania, about 3,000 citizens die from tumor diseases every year, and the mortality from them ranks third with 13.5%, after those of the circulatory system, and diseases with undetermined causes. But although these deaths carry a high weight and new cases are on the rise, a report by the KLSH also highlights many weaknesses of the health system in their treatment.

Even the Prosecutor's Office of Tirana is recently investigating a scheme of abuse with patients of the oncology hospital where it is thought that several doctors, specialists and administrators of a private clinic and pharmaceutical warehouse are involved, among them ex. Deputy director of QSUT Brikena Qirjazi.

Through various forms, patients were directed to a private clinic, to receive medical services, according to the prosecution. Some citizens told the Voice of America that they witnessed such a scheme, while there were those who asked to remain anonymous.

"We were told that the examination had to be done quickly, not to waste time. We did the scanner, the biopsy, the tests here in Tirana at the "Megis" clinic, which is also mentioned by the prosecution" - says the relative of a patient from Korça.

"In the private system, we spent a lot of money in the beginning, without even coming to the Oncology hospital. We needed to get the diagnosis quickly. They took us to a private clinic that had a doctor here from the hospital. We did it all and came to the state. My husband, who suffers from a tumor, is currently being followed by a doctor and a very good person from the Oncology Hospital" - says Sanie Xhixha from Tirana.

Various patients tell VOA that they face long waits to receive services at the Oncology Hospital. KLSH connects this with the insufficient number of oncologists, 55 in the whole country, 24 in Tirana, as well as with the lack of medical equipment and infrastructure in regional hospitals to provide full services for tumor diseases.

The staff of 24 doctors in the oncology hospital handles 108 visits and consultations per day, treats 75-80 patients with chemotherapy and 22 patients with radiotherapy. (this does not include surgical interventions, emergency and doctors on call every day). These data indicate a high volume of doctors' work, according to the KLSH.

Even the number of "virtual bed" armchairs is small - it says in the report - only 19 such, although during the day 75-80 patients are treated with chemotherapy, from all over the country. "Regional hospitals do not have full hospital capacities, equipment and beds, and as a result, the Oncology Hospital in Tirana bears the biggest load with chemotherapy" - underlines KLSH.

Oncology hospital

On the other hand, the Radiotherapy service is also centralized, it is separated in the report. It is offered to all patients only in this hospital. The Voice of America talked to several patients from different parts of the country about these difficulties. They came from Korça, Dibra, Tropoja, Gramshi, Përrenjasi or Laçi, and were treated at the oncology hospital with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and performed numerous checks.

The HSC report notes that during the three-year audit period 2020-2022, 600 female patients did not receive radiotherapy treatment with Brachytherapy as it did not work. Likewise, the Ortovolta? medical device, put into operation since 2002, had a defect, for a certain time during the audit, leaving 200 patients without treatment, while the new device was not put into operation. Some other elements in the radiotherapy unit, it is said in the KLSH report, such as the Tubes of the Electric Syringe Apparatus, Pumps and individual thermoplastic masks, were missing.

Despite the claims of official authorities that healthcare is free, citizens are forced to pay out of pocket for drugs and services provided in the public system. Patients and their relatives confirmed to the Voice of America the constant concerns about the lack of drugs in the treatment of tumor diseases. Some are provided by the Oncology Hospital, but others they are forced to purchase themselves, often at high costs.

"I buy half of the medication for my wife, because the Oncology Hospital does not offer it. We are retired, I had heart surgery. Our income is low to cover these expenses" - says a citizen from Përrenjasi.

"A relative of mine pays for 80% of the treatment. The treatment is done here, but the needle was bought in Kosovo for 3,000 euros per needle," says Përparim Lama from the city of Laç.

"My husband is in the third year of tumor disease. We almost got the funding from the state structures, but we also got it with Lek, when there was none in the public system" - says Sanije Xhixha from the city of Tirana.

Meanwhile, the KLSH report states that the financial expenses for the treatment of tumor diseases have not increased, but have remained almost unchanged, while the number of patients diagnosed and treated with tumor diseases is increasing.

During the interceptions of the prosecutor's office of Tirana, some concerns raised by citizens in communications between doctors, who ask each other for favors, for unplanned treatment of patients, or even cases where bribes are involved, are evident.

The official authorities have announced audit and administrative investigation and have expressed regret for the case in question, but so far they have not given a solution to these forms of corruption, and they have not said who is responsible for them.

The prosecution's investigations cast doubt on the sale of hospital drugs for the treatment of tumors in some pharmacies. The Voice of America also spoke with doctor Sotiraq Senjo at the Oncology Hospital about the treatment of patients with chemotherapy and the source of the hospital's supply of these treatments.

"The medicine comes from the central pharmacy, from the central office. Everything dissolves in the cap and comes dissolved to the patient. And there is no contact with the doctor's medicine, he simply fills a prescription. While the patient takes the medications at the pharmacy. He takes them by code, goes and withdraws them. No doctor has anything to do with this," says Sotiraq Senjo, chemotherapist at the Oncology Hospital.

KLSH in its report on the performance of the oncology hospital, underlines that for the 3-year audit period, the Ministry of Health and QSUT have not carried out audit and monitoring processes at the Oncology Hospital and hospital services that treat tumor diseases. According to KLSH, this increases the risk of reducing the quality of service for patients with these diseases.

Until the preparation of this material, the Directorate of the Mother Teresa University Hospital Center did not respond to the interest of the Voice of America in relation to the problems identified in the KLSH report.

The head of the KLSH Arben Shehu told the Voice of America that several audits have been carried out in the field of health, which are the subject of a report to the Special Prosecutor's Office, while he announced a new report soon.

"We are in the process of auditing some other procedures that are part of the health system and are directly related, especially with public procurement procedures in hospital centers. We are at the end of the detailed legal analysis to direct them to the Special Prosecutor's Office" - says Mr. Shehu.

The investigations of the Prosecutor's Office of Tirana on a suspected scheme of abuse related to the treatment of tumor patients, which were accompanied by security measures, house arrest and mandatory appearance for the persons under charge, most of them doctors, have provoked a wide wave of debate also on the networks social. Many citizens and well-known public figures are denouncing on social networks, personal cases of dealing with health structures in the treatment of tumor diseases, which represent a constant challenge for the health system in Albania./VOA