Student dies after finding no money for surgery

TIRANA, April 23 – Besnike Markola, a student in Luigj Gurakuqi university in Shkoder, died after there were collected less than 130,000 euros needed for a surgery, a transplant in neighboring Greece. Her classmates made an appeal and many individuals and businesses offered their assistance but the figure did not reach 130,000 euros needed for the transplant. Students from different universities in the country managed to collect only one-fourth of the amount. Health Minister Nard Ndoka said that the cooperation with Greece on treating about 200 patients a year for such serious diseases was hardly applied due to bureaucratic relations. He said that last year there were only 20 persons treated based on that deal. “We students of a democratic state aspiring to become a European family member feel shaken, skeptical for the future and abandoned by the government,” said a students’ statement.