An important hospital infrastructure with nearly a 100-year history, the “Ali Mihali” Psychiatric Hospital in Vlorë has been made available to patients and the medical staff, completely revitalised with dignified conditions, thanks to the government’s investment.
With a staff of 132 employees, this hospital provides healthcare services to almost the entire southern region of Albania, from Divjaka to Konispol, where all patients are treated according to a specific protocol that includes not only clinical care but also comprehensive services focused on the integration of patients into the community.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, together with the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Albana Koçiu, visited the new hospital facilities today and met with doctors and support staff.
“We are at the Vlora Psychiatric Hospital, where we have intervened by reconstructing and building from scratch two houses for patients suffering from mental health issues. The building we are currently in serves male patients, with a capacity of 60 beds, and the same has been done for the women’s unit in the building just below us, where specialised care is provided for all the patients treated here.
The hospital was originally built in 1926 and had become a worn-out structure that had never been renovated. In 2015, we intervened to improve the facilities for acute patients and the medical emergency services,” said Minister Koçiu.
She further added: “At this facility, 132 healthcare personnel — doctors, nurses, and support staff — are employed. The first investment was made in 2015, with improvements to the structure accommodating patients requiring acute treatment. Meanwhile, the two protected houses, one for male patients and one for female patients, were built entirely from scratch with state budget funding totalling 2.6 million euros, including full equipment and all necessary furnishings.’’
At the new psychiatric hospital, specialised services are offered, not only for psychiatric treatment but also for psychological therapy provided by multidisciplinary teams.
Regarding this, Minister Koçiu emphasised that the approach to treating patients with mental health issues has now changed, creating conditions that bring them closer to the community and rehabilitating them to ensure they no longer feel isolated.
The doctors, some of whom have been serving there for decades, affirm that many units of specialised care have undergone a true transformation.
“A revolution and transformation of the chronic ward have taken place. I have been here since 1992. I want to thank you because, from the time this hospital was established until today, you are the only Prime Minister who has set foot in this place — and not only have you visited, but you have also made an extraordinary investment, bringing us a reform and a transformation that truly deserves a lecture of its own.
This investment is considered monumental, not only for its financial value but also for its impact on the functioning and the role it plays in the reform of our hospital,” said the head of the Chronic Mental Illness Ward.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Albana Koçiu, stated that interventions are also underway at the psychiatric hospital in Elbasan, as well as at the psychiatric hospital within the University Hospital Centre of Tirana (QSUT).
“The institution not only now carries the responsibility of serving the entire southern region of Albania but also bears the legacy left by Dr. Ali Mihali, to be advanced through the collaborative work of the multidisciplinary staff. They aim to rehabilitate into the community not only the patients currently under care but also those who will receive services at this hospital, ensuring they benefit from the highest quality multidisciplinary care,” said Minister Koçiu.
To complement this service, three supportive houses have also been established in Vlorë to assist patients after they are discharged from the hospital.
