Healthcare shortcomings bring deadly results

09/05/2008

An Albanian girl dies from a routine tonsil operation. Bloggers ask why.

The healthcare system in Albania is under fire. [AFP]

Matilda Petriti, a 17-year-old high school student, died on May 3rd after a tonsillectomy. During her surgery at a private clinic in Pogradeci, eastern Albania, the doctor allegedly cut a vein by mistake and the coagulation of blood in the lungs killed Matilda. The case has deepened public concern about flaws in Albania's healthcare system.

Kristi Pinderi's article about the case, "3445 scalpels for Albania", was originally published in the magazine MAPO and has since been reposted on Peshku pa ujë, sparking a heated discussion. Some bloggers argue that media attention will push the authorities to order changes, while others complain about politicalisation.

Koth, for example, believes the goal of the author was to highlight the role of Mjaft! activists, as well as that of G99, a new movement launched in Albania.

But Klajdevour disagrees. "Let's leave apart G99 and MJAFT," he says. "Now what is your comment? I believe that only in this way can our thoughts be free from prejudice."

Mulling over the state of medical care in Albania, Rob-ternet also defends Pinderi's article and draws a comparison with the March 15th disaster at Gerdec. While the munitions plant catastrophe made for more sensational headlines, he suggests, a dysfunctional healthcare system can be no less lethal.

"I have to congratulate the author for speaking about such a problematic theme as healthcare," Rob-ternet writes. "The Gerdec tragedy killed 26 persons. But the problems of the Albanian health sector are equal to how many Gerdecs? It is not easy to change the general state of the health system. But being in the media's focus can help this sector become more attentive and avoid tragedies. The author should be lauded for writing on this taboo theme."

Ll writes about his own experience with private clinics. "There are investments in private clinics, but the funds are scattered and not all the clinics are operated by professionals. The result can sometimes be scary," he says.

Commenting on another article about the same theme, Jay-z takes the medics' side. "No one can expect the doctor to work free of charge on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday at 2 am, Thursday at 11 pm, and Friday at 5 am," he writes. "No one can expect him to pull out from his pocket all the medications and medical devices, especially these days when the prices for these have skyrocketed."