TFL publishes report: 83% of Albanians perceive civil service in Albania as corrupt

The “Together for Life” association published the report “Assessment of Albanian Public Perceptions of Corruption in the Health Sector”, with the financial support of the European Union. This is a comprehensive study that aims to provide a clear picture of the extent of corruption in the health system, based on the perceptions and concrete experiences of Albanian citizens.

The survey was conducted with 1,000 citizens from all over Albania and the findings it presents are worrying. According to the report, 83% of respondents consider the healthcare system to be corrupt, while 84% admit that they themselves or someone they know has faced concrete cases of bribery for services that in principle should be free, such as surgical interventions (75%), hospital visits or consultations (56%), childbirth and obstetric-gynecological care (52%), etc. This high level shows that corruption in healthcare is not just a perception, but a widespread and normalized reality.

Citizens list several main factors that promote corruption in this sector, with the most mentioned being: the accepted culture of bribery (63%), lack of control and punishment for detected cases (56%), mismanagement and lack of transparency (38%), and lack of awareness and courage of patients to report (35%). Also, low salaries of medical personnel (34%) and lack of financial resources (21%) are considered important factors contributing to the spread of corruption.

The report highlights that the perception of corruption is high at all levels of service. University hospitals are perceived as the most corrupt (81%), while health centers are the least affected by this phenomenon (21%). These data highlight the need for deep reforms, strengthening accountability mechanisms and increasing transparency at all levels of the system.

The report's findings were presented at a roundtable with representatives of public institutions, civil society organizations, independent institutions, experts in the field, and the media.

Silvana Ramadani, Advisor to the Minister of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption, emphasized the importance of cooperation between institutions and civil society to address corruption in healthcare.

She announced that within this year, MSHAP, together with the Ministry of Health, with the support of the Swiss Government, will launch a special process for assessing the risk of corruption in the health sector, an assessment which will include all levels of service provision and will aim to identify and minimize risks through systemic measures.

The representative of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Mejvis Kola, noted that the reports produced by the association 'Together for Life' have helped the institution over the years to improve policies with the main goal of placing the citizen at the center of the system. 

"Although it is evident that the services provided at all levels of the public health system have improved significantly in recent years, we are aware that there is still much to be done, especially in strengthening control mechanisms, and this requires cooperation between all of us actors operating in the health sector", emphasized Ms. Kola.

Referring to the Report presented by TFL, Mr. Alfred Leskaj, auditor at the Supreme State Audit Office stated that 'this report will serve the SAI as a valuable source for future performance and compliance audits in this sector'.

“Due to the high risk and direct impact it has on citizens' lives, the SAI has included healthcare in its annual audit plans, ” Mr. Leskaj underlined.

Vilfrida Bushati, Director of Administrative Investigation at the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination, brought concrete cases of patients treated by the institution, who were referred by "Together for Life", which have helped in identifying and treating problems affecting vulnerable groups, such as children with leukemia or hemophiliac patients, who have been denied access to necessary medications.

The report “Assessment of the Albanian public perception of corruption in the health sector”, carried out by TFL, represents a clear call for increasing transparency, strengthening reporting mechanisms, protecting whistleblowers and placing integrity at the center of the health system. Through this Report, “Together for Life” reiterates its commitment to contributing to a more honest system and more sensitive to the needs of citizens.

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