The online Health Card is being distributed since February 15. This new application provides citizens with the health card only by submitting a single document, their Identity Card.
Prime Minister Edi Rama was today at the Health Centre N. 9 in Tirana, where this process started a few days ago. Citizens can apply in less than a minute only by submitting their ID card. Once the application has been made, citizens can print their Health Card form the portal e-albania, without being required to go to the counters of the Healthcare Security Fund. “The system used to produce 30 cards, while now it can produce 70 to 120 cards in just two hours. The service is available from 8 am to 8 pm, delivering a total of 400 to 500 cards per day”, the operator who assists citizens with their applications informed.
As a result of the computerization of this service, information can be obtained in real time by several institutions simultaneously, the Civil Registry, the pension registry, the registry of contributors, the registry of job seekers, as well as the registry of welfare. This means for citizens eliminating a range of documents that were required until yesterday, and avoiding the comings and goings from one office to another, in addition to shortening the time of service delivery. Whereas for the administration, it eliminates a series of documents that were submitted to receive service in unappropriated ways, in addition to increasing security and transparency.
“To dismantle the terrible burden that people and doctors in different areas had to carry and continue to carry, a radical reform of service is needed in parallel with the structural changes, and the final transition to electronic health services. The electronic prescriptions on the one hand, and the electronic Health Card on the other hand are two steps that bring many benefits. All those terrible lines that we experienced also through TV in different areas, will be avoided completely once and for all. The system works quickly, but more importantly, transparently and in a way that whatever is written will remain there”, Prime Minister Rama said. He was accompanied by the Minister of Innovation Milena Harito, the Deputy Minister of Health Klodian Rjepaj and Director of FDKSH, Vjollca Braho.
The Health Card is one of the steps to modernize the health service, part of the comprehensive health reform, and along with the electronic prescription it enables the online control system. “With the electronic prescription being extended throughout Albania, after it was successfully implemented in Durres, it is possible for us to have under control the entire system, ranging from visits to the family doctor, the issuance of the electronic prescription to buy medicines in pharmacy”, Vjollca Braho said.
The distribution of the Health Card was launched in December 2014, with approximately 692,500 cards being distributed last year. From January of this year until now over 320 thousand Health Cards have been distributed. This card facilitates also the job of the family doctor, who until yesterday had to fill out endless booklets, instead of focusing on the purpose of his duty, the care for citizens. “The family doctor has more time to dedicate to the citizens, because before there was a health card and he had to both write the prescription and fill out the health card, so he had to do the same thing twice”, Deputy Minister Rjepaj said.
