EU assists improvement of Mother Theresa Hospital

TIRANA, Nov 23 – The European Commission Delegation to Albania and the Mother Theresa Hospital signed a grant contract last week for a total amount of 950,000 Euros for a 16-month project to address the needs of the hospital in infrastructure, equipment, medication and staff training.
The shortfalls in these areas became tragically apparent immediately after the G쳤ec explosion, which has also provided the impetus for this project, according to a statement of the EC office.
To improve the current infrastructure of the hospital, the project will, among other things, enable the separation of one side of the building in order to fulfill all modern requirements for antiseptic treatment of the patients. The separate section will be complete with separate access, a hyperbaric room, a heating system, a permanent water supply and, very importantly, it will be sterile.
In terms of equipment, the fund will be used to purchase, install and service priority equipment for the treatment of burn patients, something the Severe Burns Unit has not had for 25 years. Based on a first assessment of the current situation, monitors, specialized reanimation and hydro-therapy beds and respirators will be acquired.
Furthermore, in response to the concrete and urgent needs of the hospital, the project will enable the purchasing of disposable materials and medication to guarantee the high levels of cleanliness and regular antiseptic treatment the burns pathology requires. More specifically, bandages, local-treatment and skin medication and general medication will be provided alongside basic hygiene and antiseptic products.
In order to alleviate the problems of qualifications and expertise of the human resources of the hospital, the project will provide for specialized training of the doctors and nurses of the Severe Burns Unit as well as training on procedures for the staff as a whole.
EC Ambassador Helmuth Lohan noted, “I am particularly pleased that our first project in the field of Health helps the treatment of severe burns, and therefore medical care that has long suffered from a lack of equipment and specialized training.”