The firing of Ilir Allkja, the doctor of Mother Teresa Hospital in Tirana (QSUT), after denouncing the lack of special clothing for the medical staff, has sparked outrage among the public opinion and among his colleagues. For this reason, doctors and nurses of the QSUT held today a protest outside the hospital, condemning what they consider an unacceptable and political act, asking for an immediate return to work for Allkja .
Doctor Gent Stroni, representing the union of health workers, said that Albania has not the luxury to fire a doctor during a pandemic crisis: “If we see the Hippocratic Oath, a doctor is punished by the criminal code only when his actions or inactions cause the death of a person […] Today we see the professional death of our colleague, and that is unacceptable […] We will decide how to escalate our protests,” said Stroni.
Ilir Allkja, a few days ago denounced the lack of special clothing for the medical staff of the QSUT, adding that he was provided only with a mask. After being fired, he wrote through his Facebook page that “the low revenge of Edi Rama […] comes in the days when Albania needs more than ever the doctors.” Throughout this year Allkja has been a critical voice against the government and the measures taken to fight COVID-19 pandemic. The official motivation behind Allkja’s firing was the “breach of the Code of Labor,” saying that Allkja “had misinformed the public […] had spread false information and had spread panic” through his declarations.
Yesterday the Democratic Party reacted by considering the act a political one, which demonstrates how Rama does not care for the public interest. “The emergency doctor Ilir Allkja has been fired, after 20 years of work and sacrifices, and after serving to thousands of sick patients. The hostility showed by the government against Ilir Allkja is a unique case in the democratic world,” said the DP.
The leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration, Monika Kryemadhi, also considered the firing of the doctor as unfair, adding that once in power, her party will undo all the wrongdoings of Rama’s government.
