After being consigned to oblivion for over two decades, the newly renovated polyclinic in the town of Lushnja, which offers now a range of services and the latest international standards in primary health care, has been completely transformed recently thanks to the cooperation between the Albanian government and the government of Switzerland through the Health for All project (HAP).

The polyclinic in Lushnja is another healthcare centre completely transformed under the national program designed to reconstruct and rehabilitate over 300 health centres all over the country.

Being neglected with no investment for around two decades, the previously ruined three-storey building at the centre of the town of Lushnja, which houses and combines primary health care and specialty health services, and two health centres, underwent a thorough rehabilitation project and offers now the latest medical equipment and international standards in primary health care.

Prime Minister Edi Rama today visited the renovated premises of polyclinic in Lushnja, a project worth almost EUR 750,00 in collaboration with Swiss government project Health for All.

“The investment in the polyclinic and two health centres was materialized in the framework of the cooperation with the Swiss government through Health for All project. The whole structure has been a very comfortable system benefiting both rural and urban inhabitants. All premises are monitored by camera to register the number of patients as all health care services are combined in a single building,” the Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu said.

She explained that the outpatient service is provided at 17 cabinets.

“The polyclinic houses 17 cabinets offering various specialities services, while the other two health centers provide services to about 25,000 residents. All cabinets share a common monitoring system,” Manastirliu said.

For the health personnel serving in this polyclinic, including older doctors and young specialist physicians, the investment to renovate the polyclinic was indispensable. “Such investment was a must for our city. It is an investment that benefits thousands of local residents who will receive much better service up to the latest standards in primary health care. We should now deliver best health care services, look after and maintain the polyclinic. This is what we should actually do,” one of the doctors said.

To the older physicians, who work for years in this polyclinic, the transformation is even more pronounced and visible.

“We work for over 17 years here and we clearly see the radical transformation the polyclinic has gone through. The transformation is really like night and day,” one of them said.

Combining primary health care and specialty health services in a single building, this new investment benefits both rural and urban inhabitants.

Being fully operational, the polyclinic has contributed to reduce influx of patients to the city hospital as they can receive outpatient service at optimal conditions in the Polyclinic.

“The influx of patients has just begun. With the polyclinic fully operational, the patient wait time and hospital queue has been significantly reduced,” a medical imaging specialist said.

Primary health care or the free check-up programme is a service widely welcomed by the Lushnja residents and they can undergo the preventive check-up in this polyclinic in line with the most up-to-date standards. In this regard, Health Minister Manastirliu noted that the number of people undergoing the medical check-up in Lushnja has increased significantly. “This is of course thanks to the family doctors who are working hard to inform and raise awareness among citizens and all individuals aged 35–70 years to get free annual check-ups. We have really achieved impressive results as the primary health care service has helped in early detection of various diseases, the prediabetes in particular that can be successfully treated if diagnosed in early stages.”

On his part, Prime Minister Rama said that thanks to the hard work in this respect too, the mentality has changed a lot and the household health spending has decreased significantly. “It was really a tough stage as the program met with fierce opposition. In addition to that, we also lack tradition. However, this mentality has changed a lot and therefore household health spending for individuals and families in the country has decreased.”

Renovation of the polyclinic has been widely welcomed by the local residents, who say they are really satisfied at the new standards in the health care service.