The Grant Signing Ceremony was held at the premises of “Queen Geraldine” University Hospital, where the Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection, Ms. Entela Ramosaçaj also joined the ceremony.

During this event, the Hospital Director, Ms. DEMALIAJ, expressed her sincere gratitude to Ambassador TAKADA, the Government of Japan, and the citizens of Japan, for their continued support to the Hospital and to the healthcare system in Albania. Deputy Minister Ramosaçaj, also thanked the Ambassador in the name of the Ministry and the Albanian citizens. Ambassador TAKADA expressed his government’s commitment to supporting Albania’s health sector as well as other sectors of the country.

This is the second cooperation between the Embassy of Japan and the University Hospital of Obstetrics – Gynecology “Queen Geraldine”. On August 2020, a 3D Laparoscopy System was provided to the hospital with the aim of strengthening the gynecological surgery capacity of the hospital.

Japan has continuously supported the healthcare sector of Albania through several grant schemes especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Recently, through JICA, Japan donated to the Institute of Public Health of Albania special vehicles for safe vaccines’ transportation and ultra-low temperature freezers for safe vaccines’ storage with the aim of enhancing the capacities of the Institute of Public Health in terms of mobility and response to epidemiological crisis. In the framework of supporting Albania’s fight against Covid-19, in 2021, a roughly 800 thousand Euro grant agreement was signed with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to provide medical equipment such as a CT scanner and ultrasound machines for several public hospitals in Albania. Through the Embassy of Japan in Albania, during the last 4 years, Japan has provided around 630,000 Euro in small grants for several public hospitals in the country, for the provision of medical equipment.