The Ministry of Health has presented the new bill for medical students. The new draft envisages reducing the deadlines for forced labor.

The time of compulsory work for young doctors at the end of their studies is reduced. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs has released the draft law for public consultation “For the special treatment of students who follow the integrated study program of the second cycle “General Medicine”, in public institutions of higher education”, in which it has also provided for the reduction of the years of forced work in Albania of a doctor from 5 to 3 years at the end of the study cycle.

The new legal draft provides for a reduction in the years of employment for second-year students from 3 to 2 years of forced labor in Albania. While for those in the 5th and 6th year, from 2 years of forced labor, it goes down to 1.

Young doctors are obliged to be employed in health institutions according to the needs for doctors announced by the ministry responsible for health.

“The time for carrying out the procedure for the employment of a doctor by the ministry responsible for health is within 3 months from the moment of birth of the right to employment. In cases where the employment is not realized within 3 months for reasons beyond the doctor’s control, until the creation of the opportunity for employment in public health institutions, for a period of up to 9 months, the doctor has the right to be treated with 80% of the general doctor’s salary in primary care, for a period no longer than this term, or choose to be employed in non-public health institutions in the country, notifying the ministry responsible for health, as well as maintaining the right to priority employment within the 9-month period in public health institutions”, announced the Ministry of Health.

The draft law for medical students was approved in July last year as a measure to prevent the departure of doctors from Albania. But this law has aroused the displeasure of students who went on protests to oppose it.