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Doctors’ exodus makes Albania’s healthcare system more vulnerable

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13 mins read
7 years ago
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By Ervin Lisaku TIRANA, Jan. 15 – Albania has been facing an exodus of doctors in the past few years, making the country’s healthcare system, already facing one of world’s lowest number of doctors, even more vulnerable. More than 500 doctors are reported to have left the country in the past few years, mainly heading for Germany, Europe’s largest economy, which has eased work procedures for medical staff coming from the Western Balkans as it tries to fill the huge gaps in its healthcare system. The current numbers represent about a tenth of total number of doctors in Albania, but…

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Story Highlights

  • Monthly bonuses of up to €2,000 a month for working outside Tirana and in remote areas suffering shortages of specialty doctors since early 2018 have not been much appealing and facilities like the Dibra regional hospital, north of the country, continue redirecting their patients to Tirana, which becomes quite difficult in winter due to heavy snowfall that often makes helicopter transportation the sole opportunity to save lives

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