Reconstruction of Lushnjë Hospital as Minister Sala Says Services for Citizens Continue Without Interruption

The Municipal Hospital of Lushnjë has been included in the national investment program for hospital infrastructure. Financed by the state budget and the Albanian Development Fund, the program aims to modernize services and improve conditions for citizens.
During a parliamentary session, Minister of Health and Social Protection Evis Sala announced that the investment will begin in 2026 and construction will officially start on March 4. Approximately 82 million ALL have been allocated for this year, and an additional 236 million ALLare planned for 2027.
The project is taking place in Building No. 3, where the emergency unit, imaging department, surgery, intensive care, and pathology services are located. Work is also being conducted in the maternity ward and support service areas. The reconstruction project includes rehabilitating the hospital premises, reconstructing technical networks, improving hygiene and sanitary conditions, enhancing technical safety, and modernizing diagnostic and treatment facilities.
Despite ongoing infrastructure work, services continue to be provided to citizens through a temporary reorganization plan. Under this plan, the emergency unit, imaging department, surgery department, and other wards are operating in alternative hospital premises.
According to the presented data, Lushnjë Hospital serves more than 63,000 people and continues operating in buildings constructed before the 1990s. These buildings have required infrastructural intervention for many years.
Data from the first quarter of 2026 indicates continuity in hospital operations and a high volume of services provided. A total of 1,727 hospitalized patients were treated, accounting for approximately 26% of the 2025 total within the first three months. Additionally, 86 surgical interventions were performed. Additionally, 15,553 emergency cases were handled, nearly 31% of last year’s total, reflecting an accelerated pace of work in emergency cases. Additionally, 14,076 outpatient consultations and 39,739 laboratory, radiological, and endoscopic examinations were carried out during this period, indicating steady demand for diagnostic services.
The hospital is equipped with a CT scanner, a radiography machine, a mammography machine, ultrasound equipment, and laboratory and surgical devices. In 2026, a new anesthesia machine was installed in the obstetrics and gynecology operating room and the ultrasound equipment was replaced. The addition of new ultrasound and mammography machines is also planned.
Fifty-one patients from Lushnjë currently receive dialysis treatment in Fier, Durrës, Qershica, and Berat. The hospital covers transportation costs for these patients in accordance with healthcare packages approved by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund.
Minister Sala announced that investments totaling 4.2 billion lekë have been earmarked for the public healthcare system in 2026, marking a 27.5% increase from the initial 2025 plan. She emphasized that construction is currently underway at hospitals in Berat, Shkodër, Fier, Gjirokastër, and Vlorë, as well as at the Psychiatric Hospital in Elbasan, the backup building of the National Medical Emergency Center in Vlorë, and the burn and plastic surgery service at QSUT. This year, construction is also expected to begin on the new Korçë Hospital building, the reconstruction of the emergency unit at Durrës Hospital, and the Has Hospital.