FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Besart Qerimi is 22 years old, but his physique resembles that of a 12-year-old. At the age of 5, he was diagnosed with hemophilia, a severe blood clotting disorder that requires continuous and rigorous treatment.
The Qerimi family moved from Kukës to Tirana more than two decades ago, but life confronted them with health challenges: two of the family's three children are carriers of hemophilia.
The other son in the family also suffers from the same illness, which has also been compounded by mental health problems.
" My little son was diagnosed and five years later Besart was killed and his blood wouldn't stop ," said Flutura Qerimi, the mother.
Hemophilia is characterized by a lack of coagulation factors VIII or IX. Officially, these factors are provided free of charge by the Albanian state. In practice, patients have faced ongoing shortages of medications for years.
If the replacement factor is not taken on time and in the correct dosage, patients risk internal bleeding, severe hematomas, and permanent disability.
For Besart, who suffers from factor VIII deficiency, obtaining medication remains a daily battle. Unlike the prescription prescribed by the doctor, he often only gets half the dose at the pharmacy, due to shortages.
" I never take as much as they write on my prescription ," said Besart Qermi, a hemophilia patient.
The consequences are already visible. His body has begun to suffer serious damage.
" This is how my hand is, this is how my leg is... I can't walk ," said Besart Qermi, a hemophilia patient.
But the problems don't end there. During his treatment in the hospital, Besart was also infected with hepatitis C. Although the diagnosis was confirmed and doctors recommended treatment, he has not been on a treatment regimen for years.
"I have hepatitis C. No medication, nothing ," said Besart Qermi, a hemophilia patient.
Patients with hemophilia are treated in the absence of an approved medical protocol. Following a complaint, the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination found that patients at this hospital are discriminated against, not being provided with appropriate treatment. The institution did not make the treatment protocols available.
The situation is not isolated. Institutions such as the Ombudsman, the Supreme State Audit Office, and the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination have identified serious violations in the healthcare system, where citizens are not provided with the services that the state itself has undertaken.
'If we have 100 sick people, especially chronic diseases, we cannot have treatment for 20 people. When diseases increase, we must support people, but this support must be for everyone. There cannot be differences for some people and some people not. The doctor cannot play the role of god and this is not the doctor's responsibility but is a ministerial responsibility' said Ilir Alimehmeti, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Medicine
An audit by the Supreme State Audit Office revealed that for the period January 2021 – March 2025, out of 253 antitumor drugs authorized for marketing in Albania, 116 of them, or 46%, were never imported. A dramatic reality for cancer patients.
The report also highlights that, due to the lack of medicines, minors are sent abroad for treatment or their families are forced to buy them themselves.
The Ministry of Health told Inside Story that it remains committed to continuously improving services. Regarding oncological diseases, the Ministry says that concrete measures have been taken to ease the health, social and economic burden.
The audit found that many clinical protocols at the QSUT date back to 2014 and have not been updated, increasing the risk of using less effective treatments. / Inside Story
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