TIRANA, December 12/ATA/ On Universal Health Coverage Day, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Evis Sala, said that integrity in healthcare is not simply a professional necessity, but a strategic commitment and is a European standard that our country must and will fulfill.
Present at the event organized today within the framework of the “Health Integrity Week”, Sala emphasized the role of institutions in the integrity of quality healthcare services.
In her speech, Sala said that, “Without strong institutions, without responsible policies, without a state that guarantees ethics and integrity, neither medicine nor doctors can advance their human mission”.
While highlighting improvement in healthcare service standards and the digitalization of processes that improve quality, Sala listed some of the concrete steps that have been taken in this direction.
“On our path to Albania 2030, integrity in healthcare is not simply a professional necessity, it is a political criterion, it is a strategic commitment and it is a European standard that our country must and will fulfill. We have begun implementation of electronic prescriptions and every day 20 thousand citizens receive their electronically reimbursed prescription and 7 thousand are referred to the health “referral system”, said Sala.
The minister also said that there are made efforts to raise awareness and protect the integrity of the healthcare system, while underlining that integrity in healthcare is not only a professional issue, it is a matter of public morality, democratic culture and the political vision of a country”.
“Without honesty, transparency, clear communication and respect for the patient, there can be no trust; and without trust, there can be no functioning healthcare system. Healthcare is the most direct contract between the state and the citizen. And we are determined that this contract will be sustainable, fair and without compromise”, concluded Sala.
During the event, there was also emphasized that integrity in healthcare is the foundation on which trust is built between citizens and the healthcare system, implying transparency, accountability and fair action in every link of medical care, from institutional decision-making to the daily practice of professionals.
This event was organized by the Ministry of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption, in cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland to Albania and the “Institute on Governance” (Basel). /k.s/a.f/p.s./
