Albanian Parliament Approves Law Requiring Medical Graduates to Work in Country for Five Years
Tirana, Jul 21 – The Albanian Parliament has passed a law today that will oblige graduates in Medicine from public universities to remain and work in Albania for up to five years after completing their studies. The move aims to address the country’s shortage of healthcare personnel.
The law received overwhelming support from 71 socialist deputies, while 23 opposition deputies voted against it. Under the new legislation, all prospective medical students will be required to sign an agreement with the University of Medicine of Tirana, the only public institution in Albania that offers medical training. This agreement commits them to working in Albanian healthcare institutions for five years after graduating. Failure to sign the agreement will result in students having to pay the full cost of their studies, which is yet to be determined, should they decide to practice abroad.
Albania has witnessed an annual exodus of approximately 150 doctors, amounting to a significant loss of skilled healthcare professionals from the country’s system of 5,400 doctors. Many choose to migrate to richer European nations such as Germany, attracted by higher salary prospects. With only 1.93 doctors per thousand inhabitants, Albania lags behind other Balkan countries (2.6) and wealthier Western nations (3.6) in terms of doctor to population ratio.
In an effort to stem the outflow of healthcare personnel, the government implemented substantial salary increases in April this year. General practitioners’ salaries were raised to approximately 1,300 euros per month, while nurses’ salaries were set at around 850 euros per month. These figures compare favorably to the average salary in Albania, which is approximately 550 euros per month.
The new measure implemented by the socialist government has faced resistance from medical students who argue that it is unconstitutional and undemocratic. As a form of protest, the students have announced plans to boycott the upcoming academic year.
The government hopes that this new law will alleviate the shortage of healthcare professionals in the country and ensure that the population has access to quality medical care.