Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha, speaking at a rally in Durrës, pledged significant healthcare reforms if his party wins the May 11 elections, alleging widespread corruption within the current system.
Berisha claimed that medical laboratories in Albania cease operations for the last ten days of each month due to financial mismanagement, leaving citizens without essential services. He vowed to end this practice within the first 100 days of his potential administration.
“I am a doctor, but you don’t need to be a doctor to see the inhuman drama of our healthcare,” Berisha stated, accusing the current government of prioritizing personal gain over public health.
He criticized the alleged corruption surrounding pharmaceutical distribution and diagnostic services, promising to align Albania’s healthcare standards with those of Italy. “We may not match their salaries or their prosperity, but in matters of life, we will match them, and we will pay for the medicines they pay for,” he declared.
Berisha also pledged to ensure that only medications approved in at least two EU member states are available in Albania and vowed to prosecute companies involved in alleged corrupt practices.
He promised free biannual medical checkups for pensioners, a practice he described as morally necessary.
Berisha called for unity among Albanians, including those from other political parties, to address what he described as a “great evil.” He presented his party’s program as a comprehensive plan for national improvement.
