TIRANA,  SEPTEMBER 27, 2011     Today, U.S. Ambassador Alexander Arvizu, and Albania’s Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, officially opened Albania’s National Telemedicine Center at the Mother Theresa University Hospital in Tirana. The center will serve as the foundation for a national telemedicine and e-Health network in Albania that will directly address the issues of rural access, patient care, and medical education for health professionals

Most of Albania’s public health facilities, particularly in rural areas, have limited medical equipment and chronic shortages of supplies and medicines, and personnel have inadequate and outdated skills to treat patients.  Thus, over 1.6 million Albanians living in rural areas have limited access to adequate medical care.  To address these issues, USAID’s is investing $1.25 million (2009-2013) to establish a National Telemedicine Center and five Regional Telemedicine Centers (Kukes, Shkoder, Durres, Korce and Vlore.)  The U.S. Office of Defense Cooperation in Tirana has invested an additional $1 million to renovate the facilities that will house these centers.  These centers have the capacity to connect electronically with international hospitals and medical universities.  To date, the project has facilitated partnerships with seven hospitals, including three in the United States, i.e. the University of Arizona, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Virginia.