Prime Minister Edi Rama today visited the injured from the Saturday’s earthquake at the Trauma hospital in Tirane and he was briefed on their condition by the health personnel. After visiting the injured to learn more about their conditions, PM Edi Rama made the following statement to the reporters:
This one of the days when we are given the opportunity to properly appreciate doctors, nurses and entire healthcare personnel, who are randomly and unjustly criticized and insulted during their daily work. But this is the case to express the deepest gratitude for what they have really done. Yesterday was a day off and it is a fact that regardless of the time when the alarm was raised, all doctors and health personnel headed to the key points here at the University Hospital Center, Durres regional hospital and elsewhere. They found themselves in the line of duty along with their colleagues without waiting for notice. It is a very significant expression of awareness and solidarity and service to people. Doctors and health personnel have successfully coped with an initial large influx of injured people. Thanks God, the earthquake struck has not been fatal and overall medical conditions are not extreme, but care has definitely been maximal. Today, the health personnel’s readiness is maximal, while number of the injured has fortunately dropped, yet everyone who still remains under the doctors’ care is a worthy fellow citizen.
-Emergency teams have been prepared and on high alert. Did they succeed in coping with the situation?
PM Edi Rama: I think this is a kind of question just for the sake of this conversation. Despite my answer, everyone has witnessed for himself that all structures have been prepared and ready to act immediately, and the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defense and the prefects have worked constantly through training and simulation activities according to the existing protocol on civil emergency cases. As soon as an emergency situation took place, the preparedness and response actions worked just fine. In this case, this has happened also thanks to the fact that the earthquake was not fatal.
-Are there reasons for the citizens to continue to be worried?
PM Edi Rama: It is the most legitimate and most normal thing that the post-earthquake period is accompanied by anxiety, insecurity and stress disorder and the absolute need to communicate and everyone should remain calm and be patient as the situation is surmountable. No deaths have been reported. Likewise, no damages to the building’s structures that could leave people homeless have been reported. Every damage will be closely verified. People should not worry about the obvious cracks to homes and apartment buildings, because they are not necessarily dangerous. There are no cracks and damages to the structures of the buildings. Every dwelling, apartment home and every other building will be inspected by experts to decide whether these cracks have damaged their structure and we will then intervene to repair damages. So, there is no room for panic. Of course, nobody can predict earthquakes. The human species has yet to work out a way to predict quakes. There is no to think that what happened yesterday will be happening today too. The aftershocks are normal and they are part of the stabilization of the tectonic plates after the earthquake. So, we should breathe a sigh of relief that this is over. As far as we are concerned, all state structures will be deployed on the ground, just like we have done from the very outset to relief people spiritually, assist people and whoever feels worried and unsafe to stay at home, because children might be afraid, they can accommodate in the two holiday resorts in Durres, where optimum conditions and 700 beds have been made available. The needed assistance will be also provided at the Durres stadium, where a reception center has become operational. Other reception centers have been also set up in Tirana to accommodate these people. So, maximum efforts are underway. I believe we should all work together and provide relief to the affected people. I would beg reporters providing news coverage to play a positive role and refrain from stirring negative aspects of fear and anxiety by raising unnecessary alarm about a fissure or crack to the buildings facades which may turn out to be the seismic gap.
-The situation has been scary. If you have seen cracks to the apartment buildings in Durres, they have not been merely cracks.
PM Edi Rama: Once again, let us allow engineers, constructors and specialists assess these aspects. The situation has been undoubtedly scary, but the time following the earthquake should be used to restore calm and not incite fear and this is also indisputable. I repeat, not every crack to the face of a building is a reason for concern. This is because, the apartment buildings contain earthquake protection elements. These buildings feature the so-called seismic gap, especially designed for such case. And if it happens to see a crack to the facade of an apartment building, that is not necessarily a crack to the building’s structure by the seismic gap that has reacted to the earthquake to increase flexibility of the building. Of course, this might not be the case of annex extensions to the buildings that could manifest threats to the structure of the whole buildings. We will verify them all, but it could turn out to be quite different, because the very principle of the seismic gap I just mention is applied during the construction phase of such buildings. However, everything will be rigorously and carefully verified.
-What will happen regarding the buildings that have collapsed or have suffered serious damages to their structure?
PM Edi Rama: It will happen what should actually happen. Nobody will be left out. Everyone will benefit the government’s assistance and their homes will be reconstructed. But patience is needed, because technical inspection cannot take place immediately everywhere. On the other hand, I would like to reiterate, no imminent risks exist in terms of the buildings’ physical nature. This is what is going to happen and nobody will be forgotten or ignored. That’s why we have invited and keep inviting all citizens to report their problems via the telephone numbers we have made available. If you wish, I would invite you all to visit the villages in the district of Korça that was struck by an earthquake destroying three quarters of the homes there. But their houses are being reconstructed and the families still living in tents will enter their new homes ahead of the rainy season. This is us. But, please be patient as these things take time because we don’t possess the magic wand, we don’t know everything and we are not unmistakable. Hence, let us all together deal with this situation.