As you may have heard/read, a shocking event has evoked thousands of public reactions, since the lives of cancer patients are traded in the Oncology hospital of the State University of Health and Medicine. Doctors and other staff have been embroiled in an inhumane scandal that has come to light through wiretapping that sheds light on a horrific scheme of abuse.
The head nurse of the Oncology Department, Afrim Ruçi, was involved in the abusive scheme, who played the role of a realtor and was the way of communication between doctors, but also the pharmacies of different patients, to ensure chemotherapy treatments.
They sold chemotherapy drugs to private entities, also sent patients to be treated in private hospitals, giving excuses like waiting, long queues, etc., but this was not true.
The investigative file
Journalist Klodiana Lala provided BalkanWeb with the investigative file, which documents the violations committed by doctors and employees who sent cancer patients to private clinics and hospitals. Also, the file explains how the medicines were taken.
"On the part of the specialists of the Section for Economic and Financial Crime, information was received on the operative route that the citizen Devis Beqiri was dealing with the trade and distribution of drugs, which are contraband. These drugs come mainly from Italy and Greece, but there are also Turkish drugs that pass through various customs points," the file states, adding that employees of this department, where the main role was played by the head nurse, provided the complete program for the treatment of a patient and they were taking the drug abroad. Since each patient has the data in the database, the entire cure was not left for treatment, but a part of it was taken out of the hospital and sent to 2 pharmacies in Tirana.
The vial of chemotherapy drugs is expensive and its value ranges from 250-1500 euros, except when the drug can be sold outside hospitals or within the hospital pharmacy.
"A medication for chemotherapy is more expensive and the bottle ranges from 250 euros to 1500 euros. Except for the case when the chemotherapy drug is extracted and sold outside the hospital premises, which is not allowed in the legislation, and there are other cases when inside the hospital pharmacy, known by the staff as 'Kapa', where the chemotherapy drugs are mixed, anyone can go a relative of a chemotherapy patient or an internal employee and against a monetary sum could withdraw the medication, even though it is not his turn for treatment, but there is another person on the waiting list," the file explains.
Previous denunciation
According to journalist Klodiana Lala, there was a denunciation in November last year, after a woman had reported the case to the Ministry of Justice.
According to Lala, the woman had reported that a similar case had happened to her, where she had not taken the full dose with the excuse that she might die. After the case, the investigation has also started. In the meantime, it remains to be clarified how it is possible that the medicines that are supposed to be found only in the Oncology hospital were also circulating in the pharmacies near the hospital.
Employee conversations
What makes this issue even more inhumane are the conversations between the hospital employees, who openly bargained with the lives of cancer patients. A part of the file was provided to Balkan Web, where one of the people who communicated, Emiljano Lela, Oncology coordinator, and another person said that they would go on luxury vacations with surgeries and vials.
Excerpts from the file:
"-Where do you take your other vacations now?
-We've been fine for a year
-See Thailand now
-Yes, why not?
- Well, it doesn't go very well. 1500 euros, 5 operations, you will catch them within weeks, hahahahaha, some calculations.
-Surgeon, do you know me? Where did you do your math bro? How much do 5X5 make?
-HAHAHAHA I calculated 300 euros for the operation, not 500.
- Yes, lol, yes.
- For i week you become the Maldives then".
Measures taken by the police
The police, through a post on social networks, stated that in the framework of the "Cobalt" operation, they issued several security measures, "House arrest" and obligation to appear for 8 people:
1. Edmond Gashi (Doctor near the Oncology Hospital at QSUNT).
2. Emiljano Lela (Coordinator near the Oncology Hospital at QSUNT).
3. Alketa Ymeri (Pere) (Doctor near the Oncology Hospital in QSUNT).
4. Brikena Qirjazi (Deputy Director at QSUNT charged with tasks for the oncology service).
5. Halil Gashi.
6. Florian Marku.
7. The seizure of the "Megis" medical clinic, which will not operate until further notice.
8. Drilona Church
Public reaction
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Today, at 19:00, a protest will be organized on "Kavaja" street, which expresses people's anger and attitude towards a scandal of this magnitude.
