A historic agreement was signed today for Albanian healthcare, particularly for University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa’’ and the University of Medicine, as they enter into a strategic partnership with the European excellence university hospital “San Raffaele” and its respective university, “Vita-Salute San Raffaele.” This partnership will integrate them into their expertise and practices, enabling them to offer a European level of medical care and education.

Present at the signing ceremony, held at the University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa’’ premises, was Prime Minister Rama, who stated that this is a historic moment for our healthcare system. The long-term ambition is to transform this hospital into a referral center for the entire Balkans and into a center of excellence among Europe’s leading centers of excellence.

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“I believe that this is a historic moment for our healthcare system. It is a historic moment for the University Hospital Center ‘Mother Teresa,’ but it is also a historic moment for Albania itself.
Because today, we are opening an entirely new chapter on a path, as the Minister described, which has been long, difficult, and had a starting point that, to say it was discouraging, is an understatement. In a healthcare system where the only unquestionable value was the value of the professionals in the system—the doctors, the nurses—who, under scandalous conditions, fought to protect and save lives, and at the same time, could not even imagine that one day the conditions would become what they are today.
But still, we are much more ambitious than that.”

We are absolutely not satisfied with what we have achieved so far; we want to go further, and the ambition is to make this hospital center the reference point for the entire Balkans and to turn it into a center of excellence among the centers of excellence in Europe.
This is entirely possible, and I want to repeat something here that I also said when we met with the representatives of the SHEBA hospital in Israel: the expert group from San Donato, which came here, visited every corner of the hospital center, spoke with the heads of the departments, and talked to the doctors.
The impression for the staff is truly exceptional.

At the same time as the transformation of the hospital, we also aim to transform the University of Medicine.

The goal is that by 2030, on one hand, the University Hospital Center will undergo exactly the same transformation that the San Raffaele group has brought to Poland. This includes direct involvement in all processes, direct involvement in the management of the center, direct involvement in organizing the daily operations of the center, and direct participation in all processes. Above all, it will unite the professionals from both San Raffaele and University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa’’.

At the same time, the same ambition applies to the university. We now have the first example with the University of Boku in Vienna, one of the oldest universities in Europe, which has already begun the process of merging with the Agricultural University of Tirana. By the end of this decade, students from all over Europe will come to the Agricultural University of Tirana to study under the same standards as those at the University of Boku in Vienna and, in the end, receive a diploma identical to the one awarded in Vienna. The goal is the same: that at the University of Medicine in Tirana, students will receive the same diploma awarded at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, and in the meantime, Tirana will become a branch of San Raffaele University. This is the ultimate objective for the decade.

Today’s agreement opens this new chapter, and it is no longer surprising to imagine that, in these coming years, we will be able to provide everyone who still needs to go abroad—not to Turkey, not to Italy, or other countries—the opportunity to receive care right here in Albania, within the public healthcare system, where they can get the highest European-level service. On the other hand, we will also provide the opportunity for everyone—not just the young men and women from Albania, but also from Kosovo, North Macedonia, and others in the region—to come and study at our University of Medicine and graduate with a diploma of the highest European standard.
I have great confidence that the staff will embrace this opportunity with professional passion and will join our partners with the necessary commitment to begin working intensively, once we have completed all the technical processes of the agreement.

Finally, I would like to extend a very special thank you to the president of the San Donato group.

The Italian government is one with which we have a special relationship. Italy is a country with which we have a special bond, and now there is more and more involvement from the Italian government in concrete initiatives like the one we are undertaking today, which also has the blessing of the Italian government. This is not simply about exchanging information or experiences; it is also about significant investments that we will make together.

Thank you very much!