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AI report on Albania: Cancer patients denied free healthcare, journalists targeted by threats

Politiko 2025-04-29 12:00:53

AI report on Albania: Cancer patients denied free healthcare, journalists

Amnesty International's (AI) latest annual report on human rights in the world has also released the results in Albania.

Referring to healthcare, Amnesty International refers to the scandal at the Oncology Hospital where doctors were reckless with the lives of patients suffering from tumors.

“Cancer patients were denied access to free healthcare at the Mother Teresa Hospital in Tirana. Some patients who needed cancer treatment were transferred by doctors from the Mother Teresa State Hospital in the capital to their own private clinics for a fee. The doctors were suspended and investigations were ongoing. The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights highlighted concerns about the inadequacy of healthcare infrastructure, staff shortages, lack of access to specialized sexual and reproductive health services, and the unequal distribution of healthcare services, particularly in rural areas,” the report said.

The report further continues with the increase in violence against women and the need to review legal aid for victims of violence.

“Police reported that, in the first six months of the year, 686 women had been subjected to domestic violence, an increase of 30 cases compared to the previous year. A study in May highlighted that a lack of institutional support forced victims of domestic violence to return to their abusers. The UN Committee for the Prevention of Torture stressed that the procedure for obtaining free legal aid should be reviewed to ensure better access for victims of domestic violence,” the article says.

Regarding press freedom, according to AI, Albania has a significant restriction as journalists face threats from politics and organized crime.

“In May, the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders found that press freedom and the independence of Albanian media were “threatened by conflicts of interest between the business and political worlds, a weak legal framework and party regulation”. It found that journalists continued to face threats from both politicians and organised crime,” the report continued.

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