
A team composed of leaders and technical staff from the HAP Project visited the Regional Operator and the Local Healthcare Unit in Shkodër to discuss the implementation of home healthcare and the treatment protocols for 5 Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
The day’s agenda began with a meeting with the Shkodër Operator and Local Healthcare Unit, where HAP representatives – Project Director Prof. Kaspar Wyss, Project Manager Mr. Besim Nuri, and Nursing Specialist Ms. Sajmira Adëraj – held discussions with key primary healthcare leaders, including the Head of Primary Care of the Regional Directorate of OHCS, Ms. Lindita Haxhija and Head of Primary Care of Shkodër LUHC, Ms. Megi Bilali. The talks focused on continued support for the implementation of home healthcare, improving diagnosis and control of NCDs, elderly care, and better management of mental health disorders.
This meeting was followed by a visit to a rural health centre in Rrethinë. The HAP team met with the centre’s director, Ms Edona Tafa, the home care coordinator, and healthcare staff to discuss the progress and expansion of home healthcare in the region, as well as the implementation of treatment protocols aimed at ensuring chronic patients receive continuous and comprehensive care in their homes. The team also emphasised the importance of specialised care for the elderly and individuals with mental health disorders, for whom primary healthcare is the first line of assistance.
Such field visits are essential for observing the real-time progress of the Project’s interventions and gaining a closer understanding of the challenges in applying the knowledge and services that are the focus of HAP’s training programmes.
Improving the quality of primary healthcare services – one of HAP’s key objectives – is crucial for reducing the burden on hospitals and providing high-quality services closer to citizens and their homes.