The opposition demands a parliamentary investigation into the 4 health concessions

The Chairperson of the Health Commission, Zheni Gjergji, and Deputy Albana Vokshi, in a press release on Tuesday, said that the purpose of setting up a parliamentary investigative commission was to clarify the abuses that have been made with the four concessionary contracts in the Health sector.

"This investigation aims to gather information on the implementation of the contract law and address the need to correct or draft the relevant legislation in order to guarantee quality service," said Gjergji.

According to Vokshi, by means of this parliamentary investigation it is required to find out the reasons why the government's promise of 'free healthcare' has failed.

"The investigation will prove, and with the testimonies of doctors or citizens, how health services are not provided at all because of the abuse that has been done with the concessions," said Vokshi.

The purpose of the commission's activity is to "examine all the problems related to public contracts in the health sector, both in the stage of selecting the winner and in the stage of their implementation; and assessing the need to take measures, including legal interventions through the adoption, correction or completion of the relevant legislation to guarantee the principles of legality, equality, competition, meritocracy and economic efficiency in the procedures of concessions and PPPs."

In the request signed by 45 deputies, it is pointed out that the 4 public contracts in the health sector are estimated at a total value of about 450 million dollars, but from the audits carried out by the High State Control and SPAK investigations, there were violations of legal and bylaw acts.

The Ministry of Health has awarded 4 public-private partnership contracts from 2015 to 2019 and 3 of them are under investigation by the Special Prosecutor's Office (SPAK) for abuse of public funds and legal violations.

Në gusht, Gjykata e Posaçme udhëroi disa arrestime për kontratën “për ofrimin e shërbimeve të integruara të furnizimit të setit të personalizuar të instrumenteve kirurgjikale sterile”, ose siç njihet si “kontrata e sterilizimit”, i cili i ka kushtuar taksapaguesve shqiptarë rreth 7.9 miliardë lekë [76 milionë euro] deri në fund të vitit 2022.

Pas hetimeve 4-vjeçare ish.zv.ministri i Shëndetësisë, Klodian Rrjepaj dhe biznesmeni Ilir Rrapaj përfunduan në pranga për veprat penale të shpërdorimit të detyrës dhe mashtrimit, ndërsa gjykata kërkoi hetim edhe për ish-ministrin e Shëndetësisë Ilir Beqja dhe ish-ministrin e Financave, Shkëlqim Cani.

Një tjetër kontratë që është në hetim është ajo për paketën e shërbimeve të kontrollit mjekësor bazë për grupmoshat 40 – 65 vjeç”, e njohur si “Check-up”, me afat 10-vjeçar.

Hetimi parlamentar sipas kërkesës së PD-së do të merret dhe me kontratën e koncesionit për shërbimin e hemodializës, me afat 10-vjecar dhe një kosto të llogaritur prej 70 milionë eurosh.

Koncensioni i fundit i dhënë në vitin 2019 është kontrata e kushtueshme për shërbimin e laboratorëve mjekësorë, e cila po hetohet për korrupsion nga Prokuroria e Posaçme pas vlerësimit të Kontrollit të Lartë të Shtetit se Ministria e Shëndetësisë e ka dhënë atë në kundërshtim me ligjin.

Shërbimi i laboratorëve mjekësorë parashikohet t'u kushtojë taksapaguesve rreth 13 miliardë lekë ose 114 milionë dollarë në 10 vitet e operimit.

In their request, the DP deputies submit that the purpose of the investigation is not to prosecute certain persons by interfering with the work of the justice bodies, but to analyze the legality of the awarding and implementation of these contracts.

After the merger between the two groups within the Democratic Party, of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the leader of the group Gazmend Bardhi, the opposition action will focus on the parliament with demands for parliamentary investigations, as a mechanism that the law gives the opposition to control the government.

A few days ago, this group submitted another request to investigate the leakage of personal data from state databases. The object of this investigation is related to the activity of the institutions charged with the protection of personal data.