Prime Minister Edi Rama awarded at a special ceremony the Child in the Republic’s Care Status to the first batch of 11 children, whose parents died in the line of duty while saving lives of other people.

Expressing profound gratitude for the self-denying actions committed by their heroic parents, PM Rama noted that granting the special status of the child in the care of the Republic is not a pledge, but a specific novelty in our life that becomes more meaningful through acts of self-sacrifice.

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In his remarks at the ceremony, PM Rama said:

Ordinary people are the ones who commit the most extraordinary acts of self-denial to protect others, to protect the society and defend the homeland.

Such were your dearest and beloved family members, your parents, who now live in your memories and in the memory of this society as the embodiment of extreme sacrifice for the benefit of others. They left behind, not only their admirable example, but also their silent testament to us that we should never leave you alone for a single moment.

Today’s meeting is to publicly announce and fulfill their last will, which became our commitment and the first piece of legislation the government adopts at the start of its third term in office.

We are here today to remember and together pay tribute to your parents with the fulfilled testament and tell not only Arian, Drini, Dorian, Petrit, Feti, Kujtim and Bled that unforgettable memory was our and Albania’s main drive, because our Republic won’t leave alone the children of our heroes and martyrs.

The Child in Republic’s Care status also includes free health care and hospital treatment at the public and private institutions, as well as at more specialized hospital centres abroad if necessary.

This status is granted to all the children of the martyrs, as well as the children of the doctors and nurses who lost their lives in the frontline of the war against the invisible enemy, and of course this is about children who have yet to legally become adults.

The first group of 11 children in the care of the Republic are here with us today, while a committee headed by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, established specifically for this goal, is treating and considering other cases of such children.

Around 140,000 children across the country, mainly children from low-income families under social welfare schemes, and orphaned children benefit under the government social policies.  Meanwhile, the payment to families with many children has doubled.

 A few days ago, the Council of Ministers approved another package of the child care national programme included in this year’s state budget, a package that provides for regular check up for 270,000 children aged from zero to 14 years old.