Albania faces increasing waves of temperatures

2023-07-18 19:35:58, Sociale CNA

The heat wave, which has engulfed Europe and the Balkan region in recent days, is rapidly spreading to almost the entire territory of Albania with a significant increase in temperatures.

Health authorities claim that, due to this situation, a high number of citizens and tourists are seeking medical assistance.

"So far there are more than 15 thousand vacationers, domestic and foreign tourists, who have benefited from the services of the structures, summer health centers, and 30 percent of them are foreign tourists, that is, they come from other countries and have received services in the structures that we have opened in our health care", says the Minister of Health, Ogerta Manastirliu.

The Minister of Health, Ogerta Manastirliu, said today that, together with the Civil Emergencies Agency and the military medical unit, special structures have been set up to provide services in the territory, coming to the aid of people affected by high temperatures as soon as possible. The Minister of Health herself inspected today one of the mobile health units set up in the city of Shkodra.

"The mobile units in the territory, regarding the heat wave, are nine. One is in Shkodër, four in Tirana. We have in Elbasan, Durrës, Gjirokastër and Berat, while 18 mobile emergency units, ambulances, are combined with 30 health centers in order to have faster access to services".

According to the Meteorological Service of the army, during the following days, the temperatures in some areas of Albania are expected to go above 43 degrees Celsius.

Colonel Elton Rezo, who heads the health service at the General Staff of the Army, says that, in this unusual situation, the army's health teams have joined the white shirts.

"Following the meteorological service, it is noticed that these days will be very hot. And, the purpose of this campaign of the Ministry of Health, which we have also joined as an armed force, is to help the population in these hot days", he says.

From the data of the Ministry of Health, so far no victims have been registered due to high temperatures. However, the authorities are calling on citizens to avoid moving during peak temperatures./ VOA