The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Albania on November 25 held a roundtable in Tirana on the healthcare sector with journalists and experts from civil society organisations.
Two dozen reporters and civil society activists discussed corruption and poor management of the healthcare system in Albania.
The roundtable was moderated by Egla Bardhi, executive director of Together for Life, a civil society watchdog group active in advancing patients rights and monitoring health expenditures.
The roundtable was held as part of the project “Promoting Accountability through Investigative Journalism,” supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
This project aims to build bridges between journalists and civil society to jointly strengthen the fight against corruption and impunity through investigative journalism.
The topics discussed in the roundtable will inform an upcoming call for investigative grants for mid-career reporters.
The call will fund three reporting grants for journalists that investigate corruption and abuse of office in the helthcare system.
Topics discussed during the roundtable included:
– Budgeting and insufficient funding for hospitals and services.
– Trade in cytostatic drugs outside the hospital system.
– Lack of enforcement of laws and protocols for treating patients with blood disorders.
– Implementation of hospital autonomy processes and the lack of role of relevant boards.
– Financial interests and political connections behind the list of reimbursable drugs.
– Restrictions and penalties for family doctors by the FSDKSH.
– Evaluation of family doctors’ performance.
– Planning and management of human resources in the healthcare system.
– Shortage of doctors, fictitious payments and benefits, and their costs for the healthcare system.
– Practical implementation of free healthcare for children.
– The issue of children with HIV/AIDS and infections in hospital settings.
– Forensic medicine and reporting of violence against children.
– Misinformation about vaccines and its impact on the population.