At the Oncology Hospital near the Mother Teresa University Hospital Center (QSUT) in Tirana, where cancer patients from across Albania seek life-saving treatment, the situation remains deeply troubling. Every day, vulnerable patients are confronted with long waiting lines, overcrowding, and a lack of basic conditions, forcing many to wait outside the hospital premises due to insufficient space and facilities inside.
This hospital, which serves as the main national reference center for cancer treatment, is meant to offer care, dignity, and support to some of the most fragile patients in the country. Instead, it has become a symbol of systemic neglect in Albania’s public healthcare system.
Patients Waiting Outside, Often for Hours
According to patients and their families, the Oncology Hospital frequently lacks even the most elementary infrastructure, such as chairs, benches, or adequate waiting areas. As a result, many patients—some weakened by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or advanced stages of cancer—are forced to stand for hours or wait outdoors, regardless of weather conditions.
For individuals battling cancer, prolonged standing and exposure to heat, cold, or rain is not just uncomfortable—it can be physically dangerous.
“This is not just about inconvenience,” said one family member accompanying a patient. “These people are fighting for their lives. Making them wait outside is humiliating and cruel.”
A Daily Struggle on Top of a Life-Threatening Disease
Cancer treatment is already an exhausting and emotionally draining process. Patients often travel long distances from rural areas, waking up before dawn to reach Tirana on time for appointments, tests, or therapy sessions. Upon arrival, instead of finding a supportive and organized environment, they are met with chaos, uncertainty, and exhaustion.
Many patients report:
- Waiting several hours before being admitted
- Lack of clear information about schedules and procedures
- No seating available inside the hospital
- Overcrowded corridors and waiting rooms
- Being asked to wait outside due to limited indoor space
This reality significantly worsens their physical and psychological condition at a time when compassion and comfort should be central to care.
Lack of Dignity in a Place Meant for Healing
Healthcare professionals and patient advocates argue that the current situation violates basic standards of patient dignity. Cancer patients are not ordinary outpatients; many are immunocompromised, fatigued, in pain, or suffering from treatment side effects.
Standing for long periods or waiting outdoors increases the risk of:
- Fainting and physical collapse
- Infections
- Increased stress and anxiety
- Deterioration of overall health
Yet, despite repeated complaints and public attention over the years, little appears to have changed.
Families Forced to Step In
Due to the lack of proper waiting areas, family members often try to support patients as best they can—bringing portable chairs, helping them sit on stairs, or standing beside them for hours. For many families, especially those with limited financial means, this adds another layer of emotional and economic strain.
“This hospital treats people from the entire country,” said another relative. “But it looks like it was never designed to handle this volume. The system is collapsing on the backs of the sick.”
A National Problem, Not an Isolated Case
The situation at the Oncology Hospital reflects broader structural problems in Albania’s public healthcare system: underinvestment, poor planning, and lack of patient-centered policies. While modern equipment and new medical protocols are often highlighted in official statements, basic infrastructure and humane treatment remain neglected.
Cancer cases in Albania have increased steadily in recent years, placing even more pressure on an already overwhelmed system. Despite this, the hospital’s physical capacity and patient flow management have not kept pace with demand.
Healthcare experts stress that oncology services require:
- Spacious and accessible waiting areas
- Priority seating for weak and elderly patients
- Clear scheduling systems to reduce waiting times
- Adequate staff to manage patient flow
Without these, even the most advanced treatments lose their effectiveness in practice.
Silence from Institutions
So far, there has been no clear response from hospital management or health authorities addressing the daily hardships faced by oncology patients. This silence has fueled frustration and anger among patients, families, and civil society groups, who see the situation as a failure of responsibility rather than a temporary issue.
Public health advocates argue that ensuring basic comfort and dignity does not require massive investments, but rather political will, accountability, and respect for human life.
A Question of Priorities
For many Albanians, the conditions at the Oncology Hospital raise a painful question: What are the real priorities of the healthcare system? While patients fight cancer, they are also forced to fight neglect, indifference, and exhaustion.
Cancer patients should not have to endure:
- Standing in long queues
- Waiting outside hospital buildings
- Feeling forgotten by the institutions meant to protect them
Healthcare is not only about medicine—it is about humanity, empathy, and dignity.
A Call for Immediate Action
Patients and their families are calling for urgent measures, including:
- Immediate improvement of waiting areas
- Installation of sufficient seating and shelter
- Better appointment scheduling
- Transparent communication with patients
- Long-term investment in oncology infrastructure
Until these steps are taken, the Oncology Hospital in Tirana will remain a place where survival comes at the cost of dignity.
For a society, the way it treats its sick and vulnerable is a measure of its values. Today, the conditions faced by cancer patients at Albania’s main oncology center serve as a stark reminder that much remains to be done.