Health Care in Albania

Albania has a universal health care system which has evolved from the Soviet model into one nearer to the Bismarck model based on both mandatory and voluntary contributions, supplemented by funding from the state budget. The Constitution of Albania establishes the right to health insurance of Albanian citizens. Many foreign private hospitals have been opened in Tirana employing foreign staff and offering advanced services for an expensive fee when it comes to what the locals can afford.

The public hospitals are owned and managed by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. The government is investing in modern equipment at Mother Teresa Hospital and the Trauma Center both located in the capital. A new state of the art National Emergency Center equipped with GPS systems has opened in Tirana in an effort to efficiently coordinate 112 calls nationwide. Dozens of new ambulances have been introduced and the concept of paramedics is starting to get hold when responding to emergencies.

Alternative medicine is also practiced among the population in the form of herbal remedies as the country is a large exporter of aromatic and medicinal herbs.

(* Source Wikipedia)