The Central Pharmaceutical Depot at the University Hospital Centre in Tirana is for first time designed to serve as a modern facility that meets all appropriate drug storage and safety requirements thanks to a government investment worth 1.7 million euros. The facility provides for the dispensing and distribution system, safety of medicines stock and transparency over their distribution to the patients hospitalized at the University Hospital Centre.
With around 3000 square meters for storage space, the facility features seven refrigerated rooms and state-of-the-art equipment.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by the Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu, today visited the University Hospital Centre to closely inspect the venues of the newly-built central pharmaceutical warehouse.
Outlining the project, Health Minister Manastirliu noted that the new facility is now fully operational and the new pharmaceutical warehouse would change the way how the pharmaceutical service of the University Hospital Centre works to ensure the best drug and medical material storage practice, as well as a better planning in a bid to better meet the needs of all hospital services for medicines and medical materials.
“This is a state budget investment worth 1.7 million euros. The project was designed in 2017 and it was then supported by the Albanian government. It is already a completed facility, fully operational and efficient. Whole stock of medicines and medical materials are now housed in this modern storage facility that meets European drug safety and storage standards and requirements. The University Hospital Centre has always lacked such a pharmaceutical storage facility of highest standards, because either nobody has ever thought about it, or the drug stock has been not that big to require such a storage space. The storage space is around 3000 square meters and it also includes logistical support premises. The storage conditions are essential. These are the refrigerated rooms. International expertise has been provided during this project’s implementation to provide a rigorous protocol on the medicines storage and their distribution to the hospital’s various wards. The Directorate of the University Hospital Centre has restructured the entire structure of the pharmacies. The electronic system is also operational and all medicines are registered in the system,” she said.
At a conversation with doctors about the positive health situation and the gradual reopening of the country amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Premier called for heighten alert and readiness of the hospital structures for any potential development. “You should care to organize whatever needed. We should be prepared since everything could happen and we should be ready. The reopening comes with a price, because, given also the successful management of the coronavirus outbreak, people have relaxed and many think this is now over and there is nothing to worry about. The majority of people clearly understand that such a success was the result of lockdown measures. However, the daily life, its routine and our habits are quite strong and that’s why we should strongly prepare for an eventual second wave of the virus outbreak. May God help us not face such a challenge, but we should always be prepared,” the Premier stated.
Commenting on the situation, Health Minister Manastirliu noted that despite the fall in the number of new infections the risk is very high. “The surgical hospital will be ready to be mobilized and concentrate treatment of the Covid-19 patients here. However, it is worth highlighting that despite the decline in new infections, the alert is really high. Our health structures are working to minimize risk and curb the spread of the Covid-19 infection. Risk is still high despite the declining infections number,” she noted.
