Scandal in Elbasan/ Patients of the psychiatric hospital, without laboratory tests

Public complaints about the lack of laboratory tests for patients at the "Sadik Dinçi" Psychiatric Hospital in Elbasan have brought attention back to the way medical examinations are provided for people hospitalized in this institution.

After statements that patients had not received laboratory services for almost three years, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare told Faktoje that the Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital cooperates with the Elbasan Regional Hospital for laboratory examinations, specialized consultations and other diagnostic services necessary for hospitalized patients.

In its official response, the ministry also announced that an investment is being made at the Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital that also includes the creation of an internal laboratory. Until the completion of this investment and the full functioning of the laboratory, according to the Ministry of Health, the laboratory and diagnostic needs of patients will continue to be covered through cooperation with the Elbasan Regional Hospital.

The issue was raised publicly on April 11, 2026, when civil society representative Gentjan Sejrani stated that "for almost three years, around 300 patients", chronically hospitalized at the Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital, had not received testing services when they had illnesses or other health problems.

According to Sejran, the majority of these patients are people with chronic mental health illnesses, while many of them are abandoned by their families.

He presented the lack of tests as a lack of basic care for a category of patients who need constant attention.

On the same date, the director of the "Sadik Dinçi" Psychiatric Hospital in Elbasan, Zenun Bullari, stated that currently patients are admitted to the hospital after coming accompanied by biochemical tests. According to him, only in urgent cases are the tests performed at the Elbasan Regional Hospital, as this service is missing at the Psychiatric Hospital.

The complaint was repeated on April 26, 2026. Sejrani said that he had received the information about the lack of tests from employees of the “Sadik Dinçi” Psychiatric Hospital in Elbasan, who, according to him, did not have the courage to make it public. He stated that the medical staff had contacted him and told him that, in some cases, the employees had paid for patients to have tests performed in private laboratories.

"If the Ministry of Health issues me a signed contract between it and the 'Sadik Dinçi' Psychiatric Hospital in Elbasan to provide tests for these patients, I bear responsibility," said Sejrani.

Çështja u përmend edhe më 19 prill 2026, gjatë një mbledhjeje të Partisë së Lirisë, ku folën deputetë dhe anëtarë të grupit parlamentar të kësaj force politike. Në takim, mjeku Gentian Çala deklaroi se Spitali Psikiatrik i Elbasanit ishte lënë jashtë koncesionit të laboratorëve.

“Spitali më i madh psikiatrik në vend nuk bënte analiza sepse ishte lënë jashtë koncesionit të laboratorëve”, tha Çala. Ai shtoi se kjo situatë kishte vënë në vështirësi edhe mjekët, pasi sipas tij nuk kishin mundësi t’u kryenin analiza pacientëve.

Çala solli edhe një shembull nga përvoja e tij, duke thënë se kur dërgonte pacientë nga Pogradeci në Elbasan, i dërgonte me analiza të kryera paraprakisht. Sipas tij, kjo bëhej sepse kolegëve në spital “u vinte keq” t’u kërkonin pacientëve t’i kryenin analizat në privat.

Për Faktoje, psikiatri Neli Demi e vendosi këtë çështje në kontekstin më të gjerë të funksionimit të shërbimeve të shëndetit mendor në vend. Ai tha se spitalet psikiatrike duhet të shërbejnë për stabilizimin e pacientëve në krizë dhe jo si vendqëndrim afatgjatë për persona me probleme kronike të shëndetit mendor.

Demi theksoi se, në sfondin e sëmundjeve mendore, problemet shëndetësore organike shpesh mund të kalojnë pa u vënë re dhe pa u ekzaminuar siç duhet. Duke iu referuar lajmeve të fundit në rrjetet sociale për mungesë kontrate të Spitalit Psikiatrik të Elbasanit me laboratorët prej tre vitesh, ai tha se, nëse kjo qëndron, do të përbënte një problem serioz administrativ dhe institucional.

“Lajmet e fundit në rrjetet sociale flasin për një mungesë kontrate të spitalit të Elbasanit me laboratorët prej tre vitesh, pra këta individë që shtrohen në spitalin e Elbasanit nuk marrin shërbime laboratorike. Për mendimin tim ky është një skandal jo vetëm administrativ”, tha Demi për Faktoje.

Faktoje iu drejtua Ministrisë së Shëndetësisë dhe Mirëqenies Sociale për të marrë një sqarim zyrtar mbi mënyrën se si sigurohen analizat laboratorike për pacientët e shtruar në Spitalin Psikiatrik të Elbasanit.

Në përgjigje, ministria tha se çështjet që lidhen me organizimin e brendshëm të shërbimeve, funksionimin e strukturave përkatëse dhe të dhënat specifike operative administrohen nga vetë Spitali Psikiatrik Elbasan dhe mund t’i adresohen drejtpërdrejt këtij institucioni.

Megjithatë, MSHMS sqaroi (pas ankimimit të kërkesës nga Faktoje) se Spitali Psikiatrik Elbasan bashkëpunon me Spitalin Rajonal Elbasan për sigurimin e ekzaminimeve laboratorike, konsultave të specializuara dhe shërbimeve të tjera diagnostike të nevojshme për pacientët e shtruar.

“Spitali Psikiatrik Elbasan bashkëpunon me Spitalin Rajonal Elbasan për sigurimin e ekzaminimeve laboratorike, konsultave të specializuara dhe shërbimeve të tjera diagnostike të nevojshme për pacientët e shtruar, duke garantuar vazhdimësinë dhe cilësinë e kujdesit shëndetësor”, thuhet në përgjigjen e ministrisë për Faktoje.

The Ministry added that, within the framework of policies to strengthen the capacities of health institutions, an investment is currently being made in the Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital, which also foresees the creation of an internal laboratory.

"Until the completion of this investment and the full functioning of the laboratory, the laboratory and diagnostic needs of patients will continue to be covered through cooperation with the Elbasan Regional Hospital, in accordance with the procedures and clinical needs of the institution," the MHSMS response further states.

The investment in the new Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital was announced in August 2024 by the then Minister of Health, Albana Koçiu. She described the project as “a new structure that is not only modern, but also functional according to contemporary hospital management concepts.”

According to the announcement, the building would be 3,270 square meters and would accommodate 70-80 patients, with 26 rooms, 2 canteens and 2 recreation rooms.

"We remain committed to investing in the health, well-being and dignity of citizens. Mental health is a critical priority for society as a whole," the minister declared.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports responded to Faktoje that the Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital does not yet have a fully functional internal laboratory. The ministry says that laboratory tests and other diagnostic services for hospitalized patients are covered through cooperation with the Elbasan Regional Hospital, while the internal laboratory is expected to be put into operation after the investment is completed.

The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs did not directly answer the question of whether the Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital was left out of the laboratory concession and how the patient tests were performed during the period alleged in the public complaints.

The ministry did not provide data on how many laboratory tests were reported as performed during the last year for this hospital and did not specify what types of tests are performed within the institution. For operational data, the ministry referred the Fact to the Elbasan Psychiatric Hospital itself.

/Jona Cenameri, Faktoje.al