Opinion

Former miss living in France letter for free Covid-19 tests in Albania

Former miss living in France letter for free Covid-19 tests in Albania

By Alma Ajazi / In a healthy democratic society, the role of the citizen and their participation is important especially when there is injustice.

We must use our voices and reasons to raise our voices.

I am saddened to see so much abuse and mistreatment by the Albanian government during this critical time that the world is facing COVID-19. While my goal is not to criticize the government, but as a citizen of Albania it is my duty and moral responsibility to raise my voice when I see abuse and injustice against citizens.

The government should provide free or reasonable testing for its citizens, so that more citizens have the opportunity to be tested. As a resident of France, I did the testing here in France for 15 euros, and also for free. What a relief when you have the opportunity to do so.

However, in Albania, citizens are paying 100 Euros for a test. This is unfair, where many Albanians are fighting financially every day.
Furthermore, Germany has allocated 10.5 million euros (about US $ 12.4 million) to help Albania mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is essential that the government finds the right strategy, appropriate to make testing less costly and available throughout Albania.

It is also essential to note that Albania has received international assistance and support to combat the challenges facing Covid 19.

The MFA is part of the EU's wider engagement with neighboring and enlargement countries and aims as an exceptional EU instrument for crisis response. For Albania, the policy conditions for its € 180 million MFA program relate to strengthening public finances and the sustainability of the financial sector, improving governance and fighting corruption, and increasing social protection.

Finally, it is essential to illustrate that USAID has donated 3,160 COVID-19 testing equipment to Albania, bringing the total number of tests donated to 32,160.
One begs to address the following question, with so much help coming from governments and government organizations, why does testing cost 100 euros to its citizens?

It is time for the Albanian government to show strong leadership, more compassion and understanding of the challenges that citizens face with the health system.