Around 41 health care and social protection services are provided online in this centre just like in any other health care institutions around the country since January 1, as part of the Albanian government’s public services reform designed to change the way public services are provided to eliminate bureaucracy, long queues of citizens at service windows, combat corruption, foster a customer-care culture, enhance citizens’ access to public services. From health card to the electronic referral and medical check-up rescheduling, or online examination, are now all accessed via the e-Albania web platform and mobile application, cutting red tape and rules and procedures that prevent timely action for citizens.
Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu visited the newly-upgraded health centre that will be part of the digital revolution in the delivery of public services in 2020.
“We have avoided any bureaucracy regarding the health care card as the document can now be accessed online. More than 30,000 applications and reapplications were made each year for health care cards alone. This service was provided here at Vora health centre only once a week,” Health Minister said.
“Rules and procedures for the services have been simplified and the long queues of the citizens have been eliminated,” one of the health personnel members said.
Health Minister Manastirliu noted that the e-Albania web platform allows everyone to check the medical check-up results online, whereas starting from January 1 every citizen will be able to reappoint the time when they want to see the doctor, or undergo medical check-up.
“For more than a year, electronic examination, referral to specialist are done by the family doctor to the specialist doctor, but the new online health service package includes rescheduling appointment with a doctor and medical examination, with all procedures being carried out online. A total of 6000 actions per day, or 1.2 million per year, which are carried out for scheduling, consulting, or examination, while about 2,000 appointments per day are not performed for objective reasons. The citizen himself, if he misses an appointment, he will now be offered the opportunity to rearrange appointment with a doctor via e-Albania web portal,” Health Minister noted.
The Director of the National Agency on Information Society (NAIS), Linda Karcanaj noted that by the year-end the online system will include 24 other services provided by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection institutions.
“We are moving forward with introduction of new services provided by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. A set of ten more new services will become available online by June, including the economic assistance to the eligible families and the disability benefit. 24 more services will become available by end of year. Applications for any authorization will be made online only and Health Minister has also decided that the application for the accreditation of the health institutions should be made online within the year too,” NAIS Director said.
The government head assured every worker that no jobs will be cut as the services they used to deliver will now be provided online.
“You have misunderstood this process, because everyone thought that service window clerks will now be made redundant. No. This is not the case. You will provide same services online to the citizens who will no longer report here in person. So, you will no longer tell people that they should provide additional documents. Instead, you will provide any required state document on behalf of the citizens,” the Premier said.
The health care centre in the municipality of Vora, 10 kilometres outside Tirana, has undergone complete transformation through a 60-million lek investment as part of the government’s ambitious program to build and upgrade 300 primary health care facilities throughout the country with the support of the government of Switzerland through ‘Health for All’ project (HAP). Around 36,000 local residents in the town of Vora and the surrounding areas will now benefit the latest international standards in primary health care.
“This is the 180th completed primary health care facility while construction of 120 other centres is set to kick off this year, including the rehabilitation of the earthquake-affected facilities,” Health Minister Manastirliu said.
Prime Minister Edi Rama highlighted the transformation the health care building has undergone, stating that all homes affected by the November 26 earthquake in Vora municipality will undergo similar dramatic transformation.
“The situation was really catastrophic the last time I visited this centre. The reconstruction program will be the true miracle that will happen here in Vora. We will do a very good thing here,” the Premier pledged.
