Construction of the new paediatric hospital ward will complete the radical transformation of the regional hospital facility in the city of Elbasan. Work is underway to reconstruct the existing paediatric hospital building, where no investment was made over the years since the’90s. The work is underway and it is set to complete within 18 months in an investment project designed to turn the facility into a modern hospital to deliver contemporary health care services according to best European standards. Prime Minister Edi Rama inspected the ongoing works at the newest construction site launched in Elbasan, accompanied by the Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu. Health personnel at the regional noted that the degraded infrastructure, completely lacking a medical gas system, made it difficult providing quality health care.

“No investment had been implemented to reconstruct the paediatric hospital since the’90s. The investment completes transformation of the hospital complex in Elbasan. The investment project also includes installation of a heating system, an external wall insulation system and installation of a medical gas pipeline system for 60 out of 75 beds in total. In other words, the project is designed to turn it into a hospital facility that meets highest contemporary standards,” Health Minister Manastirliu said.

“Anytime we talk about health system, what I think about is what would have happened should the COVID-19 outbreak was to take place with the hospital centres being at the situation they used to be just few years ago, when we would have witnessed the extraordinary disaster that would hit all over the country,” PM Rama said.

The Minister of Health also informed that a COVID-designated ward has been already set up at the Elbasan regional hospital to treat patients who contract the infection. The COVID-19 vaccination site has been also opened at Elbasan hospital and the vaccination process is underway with administering the first vaccine doses to doctors and nurses, whereas the process will expand to the whole district.

“The vaccination process is underway with administering the first vaccine doses to doctors and nurses here, whereas the process will continue with the vaccination of the health personnel in the municipal hospitals in Elbasan district. The vaccine rollout is set to start next week according to the vaccination plans and priorities determined by the family doctors,” Health Minister Manastirliu said.