TIRANA, Nov. 16 – Almost a third of Albania’s population is at risk of catastrophic expenditure when surgical care is required, slightly above regional countries, but considerably below the average of 39 percent in other upper middle income countries, according to World Bank data.
Data shows 27 percent of Albania’s 2.8 million resident population is at risk of catastrophic expenditure, defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care exceeding 10 percent of total income.
When it comes to the proportion of population at risk of impoverishing expenditure, defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below a poverty threshold (using a threshold of $1.25 PPP/day), only 11 percent of Albania’s population is at risk.
The number of surgical procedures per 100,000 Albanian inhabitants stands at 5,028.
The Albanian government spends only about 2.9 percent of the country’s GDP, some 300 million euros annually on providing healthcare, offered free of charge to insured people in public health institutions. However, due to poor condition and bureaucracy and rumored widespread bribes in public run facilities, many choose to undergo check-ups and surgical interventions in private hospitals and clinics, whose number in the past few years has sharply increased.
