Missing tests and medicaments for tumor patients in Tirana’s public hospital

18/01/2018 20:49

Mirela Balisi, 44, has been diagnosed with breast cancer six months ago. Doctors tell her to make a molecular test, called Immunohistochemistry, but in private clinics, she would have to pay 40,000 ALL, while public hospitals say they are missing the reagents. Mirela is a mother of two boys, divorced and unemployed. She’s every day […]

Mirela Balisi, 44, has been diagnosed with breast cancer six months ago. Doctors tell her to make a molecular test, called Immunohistochemistry, but in private clinics, she would have to pay 40,000 ALL, while public hospitals say they are missing the reagents.

Mirela is a mother of two boys, divorced and unemployed. She’s every day at the hospital corridors, asking about the reagents because she cannot afford them in private hospitals.

“My son works as a waiter and he can only cover our rent. I also need to get treatment with Herceptin, which is also frequently missing from the hospital”, Mirela said.

Top Channel made an enquiry at the hospital and learned that reagents for Mirela’s test have been missing for the past six months, while they are waiting for Herceptin, but they don’t know the exact date when it will arrive.

Top Channel