ICERMS Finalises work on PAZA Project in Albania
ICERMS has completed is work on the EU IPA funded technical assistance project to the
Ministry of Agriculture in Albania. The PAZA project was designed to address Improving
consumer Protection Against Zoonotic diseases in Albania hence the acronym.
The project was managed by Dr Robert Connor, the team leader, and the project was
administered through the consortium of companies who were successful in the bid process,
Agrotec from Italy and NIRAS from Poland.
ICERMS training team provided vocational training to the veterinary staff in regard to animal
healthcare waste management and treatment plus additional modules on injection safety and
biosecurity.
The PAZA training team consisted of the following personnel:


Scott Crossett
Ardi Peculi
ICERMS provided additional support to the PAZA project through the sub-contraction of Julie
Peer who developed the new award and many of the training programme resources.
The capacity building activities provided by ICERMS on the PAZA project are outlined below
and consisted of an assessment phase and a capacity building phase.
Assessment Phase
The purpose of the assessment process was to examine three key elements of the current
veterinary service in Albania; it paid particular attention to two key institutions within the
veterinary healthcare and livestock management system.
Animal healthcare waste
First, in assessing the management of waste generated from animal healthcare activities both
in the state and the private sectors, the project also assessed the competencies of staff at two
nationally important veterinary institutions the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVM) and the
Food Safety and Veterinary Institute (FSVI/ISUV). In addition, the project examined the issue
of bio-security in Albania focusing on particularly vulnerable points in the food safety system,
port, airports, land border crossings, livestock markets and abattoirs.
Lastly, the assessment makes mention of animal welfare because whilst this was not part of
the assessment programme it was impossible to ignore the visual evidence of the almost
complete neglect of animal welfare issues throughout the livestock management system.
Three overarching concerns dominate the landscape in regard to the veterinary healthcare
service and indeed the livestock management system in Albania:
1. There seems to be a total lack of investment in establishing and maintaining essential
facilities in the sector: the adoption of even the most basic of service provision now
seems a significant challenge due to a widespread apathy among professionals in the
sector.
2. There also seems to be a problem in regard to the overall education system whereby
veterinarians and other professionals in the field now accept poor practice as normal,
i.e., as the standard. This can be the only explanation for some of the practices
witnessed and it appears that the systematic decay has affected the entire root and
branch structure of veterinary services.
3. Finally, it is a serious concern that the regulatory role of the veterinary service is
dysfunctional, which has serious ramifications for overall biosecurity and for investors
in modern abattoirs: these are working at less than 25% of their throughput capacities
because they cannot compete with illegal slaughtering operations.
In addition to these three overarching issues there is also a grave concern about the extremely
low number of samples being processed by regional veterinary laboratories: there is little
correlation between this extremely low figure and the concomitant work of the field
veterinarians and the new EU investment in both the food safety and veterinary laboratory
systems.
The laboratory service in Albania both in terms of the environmental services laboratory and
these regional veterinary laboratories seem to have very limited capacity and very little work.
Moreover they seem to be seriously lacking in state investment and the burden for their
continued existence seems to be dependent on donor funding which is wholly unsustainable.
There seems to be a need for the entire veterinary service and its associated institutions to reassess its strategic place in the Albanian economy. This may be a painful process but it needs
to take place in order that the service can move forward in a credible and professional manner
with the correct level of investment from the state to ensure long term sustainable delivery of
services and appropriate levels of educational provision for new veterinarians.
In terms of the specifics of the assessment process and the outcome it is clear that in terms of
the animal healthcare waste management situation in Albania the performance at the
institutions visited was extremely poor.
There is no national guideline in place and no corresponding investments in any type of basic
system. This significant investment in the laboratories in Albania must be accompanied by a
new national guideline for the safe management of animal healthcare wastes and a
corresponding investment by the state in the sector. This system should be underpinned by
both an implementation plan and an appropriate vocational educational training programme to
ensure that all veterinary professionals understand the part they must play in the new system.
In addition the importance of the correct management of animal healthcare waste and its
relevance to the environment and to human and animal health should be a component of the
veterinary faculty syllabus.
Most alarmingly, the current primitive practices are ‘normal’ at the Food Safety and Veterinary
Institute, where the management of animal healthcare waste is completely unacceptable by
any standard.
It is recommended that a national guideline and, if need be, legislation is developed along with
appropriate vocational training programmes and that the latter are delivered to the
stakeholders at each of the key veterinary facilities which were the subject of the assessment
process reported below.
Biosecurity
In terms of biosecurity there are serious concerns about (1) the lack of recognised quarantine
facilities at the key livestock transit points and (2) the flagrant disregard of the ear tagging
system in Albania. This latter issue is conducted in full view of the veterinary inspectors, both
at the abattoirs and livestock markets, who evidently tolerate its practice. Those people
(animal owners, transporters, traders and/or butchers) who are removing and discarding the
ear tags erase any traceability of that particular animal. These veterinary inspectors should
be made to understand that in working for the state they are protecting the consumer not simply
the livestock and meat traders. In addition, if the ear tags are being removed to avoid the
traceability in relation to the payment of importation taxes then the State has a vested interest
in stopping this practice and increasing its revenues. It is clear that the State needs every
Leke of revenue it can get from the economy.
At present, Albania lacks credible regulatory functions: traceability related to products of animal
origin depends on the integrity of an animal identification and registration system and,
therefore, the authorities should stamp out current malpractice and abuse with immediate
effect. The failure of veterinary/food safety inspectors to fulfil their roles and responsibilities
undermines fully the investment of millions of Euros on establishing the basis of a national food
safety system.
It is recommended that this issue is fully investigated with neighbouring countries and countries
of origin of cattle imported into Albania. This should uncover the extent of the problem and
make recommendations for corrective actions where appropriate. Regardless there must be
tougher regulation in regard to this matter.
In addition to the above, this stronger approach to regulation must be applied to the nonlicensed animal slaughter activities to ensure that the nascent modern abattoirs have a chance
to survive in Albania. At the moment, their survival is doubtful as most of them are operating
well below design capacities and this is clearly not financially sustainable.
Albania is ill-prepared to manage a serious disease outbreak and to mount a supportive
investigation of such an outbreak. The situation is a consequence of the cumulative effects of:






Inadequate laboratory facilities
An incomplete animal identification and registration system, which is being deliberately
dismantled by key stakeholders
A regulatory vacuum from farm to table
Absence of quarantine facilities at key locations (ports and BIPs)
No means of adequate inspection and livestock handling at the critical control points
Primitive waste management facilities which would only promote the spread of disease
and exacerbate a disease outbreak.
Animal welfare
In terms of animal welfare, the conditions in Albania are well below EU standards. In terms of
livestock transportation and livestock handling there needs to be significant improvements.
The practice of allowing small ruminants awaiting slaughter to be surrounded by the skins of
slaughtered sheep is only one example of the flagrant mistreatment of animals: it indicates a
complete disregard of the fact that animals are sentient beings.
The age and state of many of the livestock being delivered to market was extremely poor,
covered in urine and faeces and quite obviously dehydrated which reflected a complete
disregard for animal welfare by the owners, shippers and market operators.
Human capacities
Finally the report has made a set of recommendations with an implementation plan for the
actions associated to each of 5 key objectives. In addition to the key recommendations the
consultant recommends an exercise involving a number of key line Ministry inspectorates in
regard to a simulated scenario of a livestock disease outbreak in Albania. This simulation would
be carried out in September and the details and scope will be worked on with the key
institutional stakeholders in May.
Main recommendations
The consultant suggests that this report and both its findings and recommendations are used
as the basis for discussion at a series of 12 regional workshops involving the regional
stakeholders in the state veterinary and food safety service including the veterinarians from
the municipalities and communes.
In order to be able to interpret the results of the assessment process it was decided to
produce a site assessment form which could be utilised at each of the sites visited. The
consultant produced an assessment form draft which was agreed with the project team
leader.
In addition it was decided to conduct a rapid on site assessment (ROSA) of the capacities of
the staff at two national institutions relating to the management of animal healthcare waste.
This was carried out in two assessment parts. Firstly the consultant assessed the standard of
the animal healthcare waste management system employed at each facility and a waste
survey form was developed by the consultant for this purpose. Secondly the consultant
assessed the competencies of the workforce at each institution. In this regard the consultant
produced a ROSA questionnaire to be completed by the staff at the National Veterinary
Institute and at the State Veterinary Faculty.
The results of this are discussed in a later chapter of this report and a Power Point
presentation of these results has also been produced for delivery to the Albanian
stakeholders to underpin the presentation of this reports findings.
The site visits were conducted in an agreed format and at each site a competent person was
able to discuss the key issues under assessment and to answer any question the consultant
had in relation to the subject matter being assessed.
Translation and specialised knowledge of the local situation was provided by Mr Peculi.
1. GENERAL OVERVIEW
The consultant recognises that there are several key issues which will affect the assessment
process and it is important that these issues are highlighted from the outset.
Firstly the regional veterinary laboratories are undergoing a significant restructuring
programme of investment in additional facilities and this has meant that conditions at many of
the laboratories visited have been completely unsatisfactory and there must be a huge
question mark over the validity of the diagnostic laboratory work currently being undertaken
at some of these locations given the working conditions in this period of reconstruction. The
consultant assumes that these new facilities will be the subject of appropriate levels of
investment to ensure that they are equipped with modern scientific instrumentation which will
make them fit for purpose, and that staff will be trained in biosafety, biosecurity and waste
management.
Photos 1 and 2. Meat transportation and livestock markets are not adequately controlled by
the state regulatory services.
Secondly it should also be noted that the number of samples actually being tested at some of
the regional laboratories is of such a low number that it is doubtful whether these facilities are
or ever will be economically or technically sustainable. It is not part of this assessment,
however, it should be of some concern because if the number of samples increases, the
need for waste management will also increase.
Albania is a small country and most small nations in the EU look at achieving economies of
scale. Albania is in danger of falling into a system based on Qark or political boundaries
thereby ignoring opportunities to centralise key services and thus optimise economies of
scale. The current laboratory reconstruction programme including the new facility adjacent to
ISUV seems to ignore this principle and it would be interesting to understand the logic behind
this level of expenditure in the regions and at a central level.
Lastly there seems to be a degree of confusion about the roles and responsibilities of the
various veterinary elements in the Albanian system. The figure below attempts to clarify the
situation in terms of the functionality of the three main protagonists in the system. They are
firstly the State Veterinary Service; secondly the Food Safety Authority; and, lastly, the
Municipal/Communal Veterinary Service.
Figure 1 below illustrates the Livestock Farm to Table Pathway. The figure is based on the
fact that Albania does not produce enough meat for domestic consumption and is therefore
reliant on imports from EU and Non EU member states in the region and elsewhere. The
figure therefore differentiates between primary meat sources from the domestic farms and
Secondary meat sources imported either as slaughter stock or as chilled or frozen meat from
countries in the region.
Fig. 1: Livestock Farm to Table pathway – roles and responsibilities of veterinarians
Primary source of
farmed livestock:
Livestock
markets:
Inspected by Official
Veterinarian in terms
of disease
monitoring and
surveillance
Inspected by
Municipal or
Commune-based
veterinarians
Secondary source
of farmed
livestock:
Border Inspection
Posts (BIPs):
Imported from EU
and non-EU sources
Inspection by
National Food
Authority
Veterinarians
Abattoirs:
Butchers:
Inspected by
National Food
Authority
veterinary food
inspectors and
Municipal or
Commune-based
veterinarians
Inspected by
Municipal or
Commune-based
veterinarians
CONSUMER
It should be noted that fallen stock are buried on the farm where the death occurs or at a site
designated for this purpose by the Municipality or commune where the death occurred. None
of these designated sites were visited by the consultant.
2. REPORT FINDINGS
In general terms however the findings have been split into four distinct areas of assessment:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.1
Animal Healthcare Waste Management
Bio-Security of the Food Chain
Animal Welfare
Human Capacities in the Animal Healthcare Waste Management Systems
Animal Healthcare Waste Management
5.1.3 Regional Veterinary Laboratories
None of the veterinary laboratories visited employed a colour coded segregation system for
the management of animal healthcare wastes.
Sharps waste is not managed using specially designed sharps containers. These hard plastic
containers, as illustrated in the photograph below are specifically designed for sharps
management in healthcare facilities and laboratories. These containers come in a variety of
shapes, colours and sizes.
Photo 3 and 4. Sharps Boxes and colour coded yellow waste bags should be a key
component of any healthcare waste management system.
[Not used for animal health waste disposal in Albania]
The treatment of potentially infectious animal healthcare waste was carried out using
autoclaves - where these were present in the laboratory. In some cases, evidence from the
site would suggest that these are not used and that potentially infectious animal healthcare
wastes are disposed of without treatment.
Disposal points for animal healthcare wastes were mixed. Some laboratories disposed of
these wastes along with the municipal wastes while others elected to dispose of these
wastes to pits either on the site of the laboratory or off site. In neither case is lime used.
Chemical wastes are disposed of directly to the sewer system.
Anatomical wastes (carcases and body parts) are autoclaved prior to disposal. Disposal
routes are either through the Municipal waste route or emplacement in pits either on or off
site.
Photos 5 and 6. The veterinary sector in Albania has some equipment that is extremely
outdated whilst other equipment provided by international donors has never been used.
5.1.2 Abattoirs
In Albania there are basically three levels of animal slaughtering carried out in terms of the
practices and technology applications:
1. Unofficial slaughtering of animals by butchers and other parties on the roadside or
outside the butchers shop. This is totally unacceptable in terms of EU food safety
regulations and is completely out-with the control of the state authorities. Waste
produced from this process is completely uncontrolled and it is unclear what happens
to the organs and other parts of the animal which are not used directly by the butcher.
The blood however goes straight to the nearest drain in the road and dogs scavenge
on discarded offal and animal by-products (ABPs).
2. Slaughterhouses which are employing primitive (EU non-compliant) killing processes
e.g. slaughtering pigs using a hammer or slitting the throats of cattle. These
slaughterhouses seem to be able to operate under the nominal supervision of the
veterinary inspectors because they are afraid to police them effectively. The pig
slaughterhouse at Milot livestock market is a good example of these unacceptable
practices where we were unable to gain proper access to see and document the
conditions, even in the company of the local veterinary inspector. What we did
manage to see was totally unacceptable in terms of (a) animal welfare, (b) human
health and safety (working conditions and biosafety), (c) food safety, and (d)
biosecurity (animal health). Waste management in these facilities is largely driven by
economics and by default most wastes produced - whether this be skins, organs,
faecal matter or bedding - is used by someone for hides, dog food or fertilisers. Blood
is washed into the sewer system or into water courses.
3. Slaughterhouses which employ best practices and technologies which are few and far
between in Albania: Durres, Vaqarr and Bushat are good examples of this type of
abattoir. Sadly though these facilities are under threat economically because of the
unofficial slaughterhouses and the slaughterhouses employing low cost, primitive
practices. This is really unfortunate and if the inspectors were really doing their job
these modern slaughterhouses would have a future. In these slaughterhouses wastes
are managed as at (2) above, however, in the case of Bushat at least all the blood
waste is separated in a tank and not discharged directly to the sewer. While the
abattoir at Vaqarr, Tirana is an excellent facility it discharges its effluent waste directly
to the river Erzen.
All Abattoirs are licensed by the National Licensing Centre.
Given that all abattoirs are licensed by the National Licensing Centre and are presumably the
subject of planning consent it was odd to discover that the abattoir at Novosel and built with
international donor funds had been built on the floodplain of the River Vjosa and had been
closed for a month due to flooding to levels of almost a metre. This seems utterly
incomprehensible given the international dimension to the investment and such facilities
need to be constructed in safe development areas taking full cognisance of flood risk.
Photos 7 and 8. Conditions in licensed abattoirs varied considerably: record keeping and
animal welfare issues were extremely varied depending on the abattoir.
5.1.3 Livestock Markets
Livestock markets in Albania are practically completely unregulated and waste management
at these sites is totally uncontrolled. The locations of markets are not on specifically
designated land and the Tirana livestock market does not even have an operating licence.
The main waste arising from these markets is faecal matter, bedding and, more disturbingly,
ear tags from livestock (see section 5.2 ‘Bio-security’ for more details).
Photos 9 and 10. Livestock markets are totally unacceptable in terms of both their locations
and their control by the state authorities.
5.1.4 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVM) and its associated farm employs around 80
members of staff and has around 700 students studying courses at Degree, Masters and
PhD level. The faculty uses sheep, goats, horses, cattle, pigs, dogs and cats for the
purposes of teaching and research.
The faculty produces around 100 to 120 veterinarians on an annual basis.
The faculty does not employ a colour coded segregation system for the management of
animal healthcare wastes.
Sharps waste is not managed using specially designed sharps containers.
The treatment of potentially infectious animal healthcare waste was carried out using
autoclaves where these were present in the laboratories.
Disposal points for animal healthcare wastes were mixed. Some laboratories/departments
disposed of these wastes along with the municipal wastes after autoclave treatment while
others elected to dispose of these waste to pits either on the site and adjacent to the
laboratory. In neither case is lime used.
Chemical wastes are disposed of directly to the sewer system.
Photo-chemicals from the X-ray (radiology) department are collected and sent to the Tirana
University Hospital Mother Teresa for disposal on a monthly basis.
Anatomical wastes are fed to the local feral dog population, deposited in a pit adjacent to the
laboratory or are disposed of through the Municipal waste route.
Faecal matter/urine from the small animal clinic or x-ray department is washed to the sewer.
Faecal matter and bedding from the faculty farm is collected and deposited in areas outside
the farm buildings.
Pharmaceutical waste although produced in small quantities is disposed of as municipal
waste.
The faculty does not have an incinerator.
While the faculty employs autoclave technology there are no records kept of wastes treated
and disposed. There is similarly no evidence to suggest that the autoclaves are routinely
maintained or that their efficiency is tested.
Photos 11 and 12. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is in need of modernisation and to reestablish its strategic position within the broader Albanian economy. It is an institution which
should be at the forefront of the field and be a promoter of best practice. At present (2013) it
is promoting poor practice and, as a result, the quality of its education programme must be
seriously questioned.
5.1.5 Food Safety and Veterinary Institute (FSVI/ISUV)
The consultant assessed the Animal Health Department within the Institute. This department
employs 28 members of staff and has 14 laboratories split across 6 sectors.
There is a Rabies laboratory which fails to meet the requirements for such a facility in terms
of bio-security. The highest biosafety level being employed by the institute is Biosafety Level
2+. The waste management practices employed do not reflect such a standard of biosecurity.
The Institute does not employ a colour coded segregation system for the management of
animal healthcare wastes.
Sharps waste is not managed using specially designed sharps containers.
The treatment of potentially infectious animal healthcare waste was carried out using
autoclaves and then incinerated in the institute’s own incinerator.
Chemical wastes are disposed of directly to the sewer system, to the institute’s incinerator or
are stored in their original containers awaiting disposal in a shipping container located in the
grounds of the institute. This shipping container is not locked and is exposed to the elements.
Additionally, apathy on the part of the workers has meant that the waste is now over-spilling
at the front of the container as persons cannot be bothered to place waste chemicals at the
rear of the container.
The container is also not bunded so any leakages from broken packaging will result in
contamination of the area immediately around the container. This situation and storage of
such hazardous chemical wastes is totally unacceptable. There does not appear to be a
register of the container’s contents.
Anatomical wastes are incinerated at the institute’s own incinerator.
Pharmaceutical waste is stored in large quantities in a basement at the institute and in a
storeroom. This type of storage is wholly unacceptable. There does not appear to be a
register of the material stored in the basement.
While the institute employs incineration and autoclave technology there are no records kept
of wastes treated and disposed. There is no evidence to suggest that either the incinerator or
autoclaves are maintained or their efficiency tested.
The institute actually has an excellent autoclave which is not operational because the energy
supply required is a single phase instead of the required 3 phase supply. This issue could
easily be resolved by an electrician.
Photos 13 and 14. The waste management situation at ISUV is extremely poor and
represents a serious biosafety and environmental hazard. The institute does not have a
system in place to effectively manage their wastes, despite having an incinerator on site. The
storage areas for waste chemicals and pharmaceuticals are extremely hazardous to the
environment and public health and discredit the entire institute.
5.1.6 Private Veterinary Practices
The private veterinary sector does not employ a colour coded segregation system for the
management of animal healthcare wastes.
Sharps waste is not managed using specially designed sharps containers.
On the evidence of the two clinics visited and from anecdotal evidence it appears that all
waste produced by the private veterinary sector are disposed of as municipal waste.
5.1.7 Ports, Airports and Border Crossings
There are no facilities for holding or quarantining live animals at these locations nor are
arrangements in place for the removal of carcases of animals that might die at these
locations. Apparently, at no time in the recent past has Albania received a dead or sick
animal as part of a livestock movement into the country.
There are therefore no arrangements for waste management at these locations.
Photos 15 and 16. None of the border inspection posts (BIPs) visited have the means to
inspect a two-storey (double deck) livestock trailer nor does any BIP have quarantine
facilities.
5.1.8 Veterinary Field Work, Vaccination and Disease Surveillance
Veterinarians in the field dispose of all waste generated through the above processes at the
point of generation, i.e., on-farm. The PAZA project has provided plastic bags and labels for
waste generated by veterinarians in the field, however there is little evidence of these being
used systematically. It is important that these frontline veterinarians adopt safe working
practices in relation to the management of vaccine, pharmaceuticals and potentially
infectious animal healthcare wastes. Occupational hazards should be mitigated and
environmental impacts minimised.
The PAZA initiative with the bags and labels was an excellent initiative but, in the future all
waste packages and labels should comply with EU norms.
5.1.9 Berat Tannery
This tannery is one of the main facilities in Albania and it receives livestock skins from across
the country. The company exports finished product to Italy. The process of preserving
livestock skins at the abattoirs visited is based on the use of salt and even the most basic of
these facilities was undertaking this preservation process in order to generate revenue from
the skins.
At present the plant in Berat is working at about 50% capacity and processing around 10,000
skins per month. This equates to around 100 tonnes of finished product consisting of both
white and blue skins. These skins are sent to Italy for finishing however it is hoped that in
the future the facility will be able to complete the tanning process on site. This would
maximise profitability through value addition. The facility has no work between mid-July and
end of August due to the summer vacation period.
Photos 17 and 18. Berat tannery is trying to improve its processes and meet EU standards
of operation.
The company employs 35 members of staff and operates between 07:00 and 16:00hrs five
days per week. It is currently trying to work towards an EU standard of operation and would
welcome input and advice from the international community in this regard.
The tannery had invested money in a very basic effluent collection system whereby effluent
from the plant was piped to an off-site concrete collecting chamber. Effluent is then collected
from the chamber or tank by a tanker operated by the local authority when full. It is unclear
where this material is then deposited however the local landfill site is the most likely
destination.
In addition the facility produces about 8 tonnes of solid waste per month which consists
mainly of fats. These are spread on the land and any waste which requires to be buried will
be buried in pits at least 150m away from any water course. This should be monitored as an
environmental permit condition by the State Environment Inspectorate but whether this
actually happens is open to question given their low capacities and lack of transportation.
5.2
Bio Security of the Food Chain
5.2.1 Overview
There is an overarching concern at the locations mentioned above that although the
inspectors might have powers to inspect incoming livestock, there is clearly a lack of
protocols in regard to the inspection process and additionally a lack of infrastructure and
equipment to ensure compliance with any inspection protocols.
Personal Protective Equipment was seen at each of these locations although ladders for
inspecting two storey cattle trucks were not available at any of the locations visited.
The veterinary importation forms included two tick boxes for inspection, one for the
documentation and the other for the vehicle and livestock.
Anecdotal evidence in Diber region suggests that many livestock movements are occurring
under cover of darkness and through unofficial border crossings. This needs to be further
investigated by the authorities.
Photos 19 and 20. Stray dogs are vectors of disease: the deposition of animal by-product
waste from abattoirs onto uncontrolled dumpsites in residential areas populated by stray
dogs invites the spread of diseases and consequent problems.
Photos 21 and 22. The deposition in unsecure soil or concrete pits of animal healthcare
wastes is also unacceptable and this practice attracts to these locations rats, flies and other
vermin which are vectors of disease.
5.2.2 Shipping Ports
The consultant visited two shipping ports in Albania, Vlore and Durres, as part of this
assessment process. It is understood that livestock movements at the ports of Shengjin,
Himare, Sarande and Vlore, although not known at the time, are non-existent.
Live animals are imported through Durres Port from Italy, France and Spain. The main
livestock types imported are cattle, pigs and poultry. As is the case with the land borders all
animal imports are electronically pre-notified to the port by the National Food Authority
(NFA), which includes -where relevant - the ear tag numbers of the imported animals.
Similarly, as is the case with the land borders inspection methodologies are absent and the
recording of the inspection process consists of a two box tick system. The port is manned by
two inspectors who operate a two shift system covering a period 08:00 to 23:00hrs, 7 days
per week.
While personal protective equipment is available to the inspectors there are no instructions or
protocols available as to its use in the context of the inspection process. Staff at the port
facility has received some training through the NFA in terms of HACCP and their new roles in
the newly formed NFA. Neither course was certificated.
Lastly, the port had reportedly never received a sick or injured animal and if the port had
done so there were no quarantine areas to isolate the infected livestock. It appears that if an
infected animal was received at the port it would be quarantined at the point of destination,
which completely defeats the purpose of bio-security safeguards.
5.2.3 Airports
Only two live animal shipments through Tirana International Airport were recorded: a
shipment of lobsters from the United States and a shipment of cattle from Ireland. There is
no quarantine or holding facility at the airport.
5.2.4 Border Inspection Posts (BIPs)
There are designated border crossings for live animal movements and this has meant that
the assessment process included were as follows:






Hani i Hotit – Montenegro Border
Qafe Morine – Kosovo Border
Blato – Macedonia Border
Qafe Thane- Macedonia Border
Kapshtice – Greece Border
Kakavia – Greece Border
None of the border inspection posts visited had quarantine facilities.
Inspection of incoming live animal movements seemed to consist mainly of ensuring
paperwork was in order and that appropriate fees were paid. There appeared to be a total
reliance on the inspection carried out by the exporting country authorities.
Under the new Albania legislation all live animal movements are pre-notified to the NFA,
which in turn notifies the appropriate BIP 24hr in advance.
At this point in the food supply chain, the animal ear tags are not only present but a list of
relevant tag numbers is submitted with the exporting paperwork to NFA. These tags
however are NOT checked at the border post for consistency with the documentation.
5.3
Animal Welfare
This subject was not a core focus of the assessment, however, the consultant could not fail
to observe the fact that animal welfare in Albania is an extremely low priority in the
management of food animals.
This is particularly true in the transport of livestock and in terms of their handling and
treatment at both the markets and abattoirs, particularly where animal are slaughtered at the
butchers shop or in these uncontrolled abattoirs.
Photos 23 and 24. In a modern EU Member state the animal welfare conditions currently
prevalent in Albania would be outlawed.
Animal welfare legislation does exist in Albania (Chapter IV of the Veterinary Law no. 10 465
of 29.09.2011): the failure to enforce the requirements of the legislation means that Albania
fails to comply with internationally accepted standards of animal welfare. Such regulation
should be supported by guidance for animal keepers, the industry and the inspectors on the
legislation implementation.
The appropriate guidance should be developed and associated training delivered to the
appropriate inspectors and industry stakeholders.
5.4
Human Capacities in Animal Healthcare Waste Management
Systems
5.4.1 Overview
The Rapid On-Site Assessment tool used by the consultant in regard to both the FVM and the
FSVI/ISUV was developed by a German company, ET Log GmbH, while working on an EU
funded project in Serbia. The tool was approved for use by both the EU Delegation and the
World Health Organization of the United Nations as a means of assessing staff competencies
in the healthcare sector and in regard to healthcare waste management systems.
The tool has in this case been adapted to suit the functionality of both institutions and subject
of animal healthcare wastes.
One of the components of the tool refers to needle-stick or sharps injuries.
Photos 25 and 26. Modernisation of the veterinary service requires the adoption of modern
best practices and the employment of new, more appropriate technologies. The starting point
is in building human capacities and bringing associated competencies and practices to
acceptable international standards. This needs both an investment in appropriate training and
in modern infrastructure.
This part of the tool was only used in the case of the veterinary faculty as it was not deemed
relevant to the ISUV.
A rapid on-site assessment (ROSA) of the staff understanding of the current waste
management systems in place at the FVM and the FSVI/ISUV was carried out. The results of
this assessment would be used to assess staff competencies in regard to any existing system
and of the requirements of an appropriate system for the management of animal healthcare
wastes.
The questionnaires were developed in conjunction with the ROSA tool, in order to assess the
key aspects of animal healthcare waste management (AHCWM) and infection control. The
questionnaires were split into two main sections; personal information, and information on
the current waste management situation, including sharps injury records.
5.4.2.4 Results
Overall, the major findings of the ROSA done at the FVM and the FSVI/ISUV were as
follows:






There was no colour coded system for the management of waste
Segregation practices, where existent, are very poor
There is insufficient documentation in all areas of the waste management
system
Waste generated has a negative environmental impact
Consumables for infectious waste management (yellow bags, sharps boxes,
waste bins) are insufficient
There are no regular training sessions for staff members and overall
knowledge of animal healthcare waste management is poor
Overall, the assessment showed a variety of issues which were directly linked to a
lack of waste management within the two national institutions. There were some
instances where a fair level of awareness was demonstrated, however in order to
improve awareness of waste management practices, significant improvements must
be made. One of the main findings of the assessment was that there was a lack of
training for waste management within the veterinary sector, which would have an
impact on the overall perception of waste management and waste management
practices.
The results obtained from the questionnaires give a good indication as to the current
waste management system – especially from the point of view of the staff. However,
the validity of the questionnaires in determining the exact specificities of a waste
management system is questionable for the following main reasons;
 There is the potential for human error (e.g. misinterpretation of the
questions)/deliberate perversion of results to have an impact on the final
results
 When a sampling technique is used, it is unlikely that the questionnaires will
be distributed to the same members before and after
 Some of the questions assume that the reader knows the correct way in which
to manage animal healthcare waste. For example, one question asks the
reader about the availability of waste receptacles in the “correct colour”,
however if the reader thinks that the correct colour for all animal healthcare
waste is black, and they have plenty of black bags, they will answer “yes”.
This will affect the reliability of some of the results.
 The ROSA was dependent on input from the participants, which meant that
the system was reliant on the correct attitude of the staff. In many cases, the
questionnaires had data missing, and many questionnaires were not returned.
There is no real way to determine the accuracy of the results obtained from the
questionnaire, however; by carrying out site visits to the FVM and FSVI/ISUV, and
conducting a visual inspection, it was possible to verify the results to a degree.
In this instance, the results from the site visits and the general assessment of the
waste management practices were in support of the results collated from the ROSA
questionnaires.
3. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In considering the content of this section, the consultant has taken cognisance of the life
span of the PAZA project and therefore which measures could be achieved under PAZA and
which measures could be addressed in the medium and longer terms and out-with the
current scope of PAZA.
The conclusions and recommendations have been split into sections relevant to the subject
areas addressed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Animal Healthcare Waste Management
Bio-Security of the Food Chain
Animal Welfare
Human Capacities in the Animal Healthcare Waste Management Systems
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Food Safety and Veterinary Institute (FSVI/ISUV)
It is suggested that the results of this assessment process are presented to the stakeholders
on a regional basis and in the form of workshops. This would ensure that the consultant
would get feedback from the stakeholders on the assessment outputs and proposals.
6.1
Animal Healthcare Waste Management
6.1.1 Conclusions
In terms of the management of animal healthcare waste, the issues are self-evident:
1. There are no guidelines or legislative instruments for this function and as a
consequence there are no controls or supervision of this function.
2. There seem to be no investments in waste management infrastructure to enable the
safe management of animal healthcare wastes
3. Human capacities and attitudes to this issue are on the whole quite inadequate.
6.1.2 Recommendations
It is recommended that through PAZA, a law on animal healthcare waste is developed and
that this is accompanied by a national guideline on the safe management of healthcare
waste. This guideline should be underpinned by a vocational educational programme for key
system stakeholders in order that everyone in the system understands their role and
responsibility.
Photos 31 and 32. Waste products from animal healthcare whether re-agents or blood
samples MUST be managed responsibly.
This programme needs to be implemented to an EU-compliant standard and not simply as
another training programme whereby candidates receive a certificate for attendance. This
type of programme (not merit based) should be outlawed in Albania, as they serve no
purpose whatsoever and are not in line with the aspirations and principles of the EU lifelong
learning programmes. Albania must be able to demonstrate objectively that it is moving
towards EU compliance in these areas.
This initiative must be underpinned by investments in waste management infrastructure and
effective monitoring of the system by the regulator to ensure compliance.
6.2
Bio-Security of the Food Chain
6.2.1 Conclusions
In terms of the biosecurity situation in Albania there is a serious problem when it comes to
traceability of meat products destined from Albanian consumers. There is a complete
breakdown of the system of ear tagging as soon as livestock enters Albania and is brought to
market.
In addition there is anecdotal evidence that the border security in certain regions is being
bypassed and livestock shipments are being imported across the relatively porous
Albanian/Macedonian border.
Regardless of this latter point it is obvious that imported animals very quickly have their ear
tags removed in order to give the impression that the livestock origin was Albania. This
seems a bit far-fetched as it is done on the basis that Albanian meat fetches a higher price at
market. This would be an understandable argument if the livestock were not left with two
unexplained holes in their ears. The consultant does not believe that the purchaser is so
stupid to pay a higher price for non-ear tagged livestock especially when the evidence of
origin or at least of prior ear tagging is so obvious in the ears of the animal.
It would seem that a more rational explanation was that livestock smuggled across the
border without payment of border taxes would be more likely to have ear tags removed thus
erasing a detectable trail for the livestock back to place of origin.
The consultant did not have the time to make this investigation.
It is clear however that the ear tagging system for cattle either imported or domestically
produced is in a state of chaos and there needs to be a radical rethink on how the system is
managed and monitored. Traceability must be instated.
Photographs 33 and 34. Ear tags are used to assist animal disease control, improve food
safety and biosecurity. The photo on the left shows a handful of the ear tags collected after
the livestock market at Tirana and the cow on the right shows the hole in the ear where the
ear tag has been removed prior to its sale for slaughter.
The ear tagging system appears to be more complete in small ruminants since, travelling
around Albania most flocks of small ruminants can be seen to be correctly tagged; many
cattle are not identified with ear tags.
In terms of the practices and facilities at border posts, airports and sea ports, Albania is sadly
lacking in both good inspection practice and in terms of facilities at the border inspection
posts. There are no quarantine facilities available nor are they any proper inspection
protocols or facilities.
It is not acceptable that livestock shipments with sick or diseased animals on board are sent
onward to the point of destination where the situation will be managed at that point.
Albania is totally reliant on the exporter and the exporting inspection authorities to ensure
that everything with a livestock shipment is in order. The emphasis at the border inspection
posts (BIPs) is purely on the paperwork and the collection of the fee.
6.2.2 Recommendations
Firstly there needs to be a set of guidelines produced to assist the inspection teams at the
border inspection posts (BIPs) to undertake appropriate inspections of livestock entering
Albania. These guidelines should be underpinned by the provision of inspection equipment
and the designation of quarantine areas and inspection areas at the border control points.
Secondly the ear tagging system needs to be monitored and implemented by the veterinary
authorities and the situation at the markets and abattoirs needs to be brought under control
by the inspection authorities. This will be a very challenging process and there will be
resistance to change especially if there is a criminal agenda to the ear tag removal.
In order to combat this criminality there needs to be a closer co-operation between the
authorities managing the RUDA system in Albania and the authorities in the countries of
origin of the livestock shipments namely, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Romania, Serbia and
Greece. The fragmentation of the veterinary service, across three institutions in two
ministries further complicates the establishment of a unified approach to an animal
identification and registration system that supports livestock movement control and
traceability of products of animal origin.
6.3
Animal Welfare
6.3.1 Conclusions
The situation in terms of animal welfare in the farmed livestock in Albania is very poor. The
transportation of livestock within Albania is often carried out in unsuitable vehicles where
livestock is crammed in to optimise loads. There is absolutely no control over this type of
activity and the authorities, as is the case with most aspects of this assessment, seem
powerless to effect change or are apathetic to the situation.
The situation at the abattoirs which are not in the more modern category is also not good and
the livestock particularly pigs are still being killed using a hammer. At the pig abattoir, if one
could call the place an abattoir, practice are particularly barbaric and this has ramifications
not only for animal welfare but for the workers working in these appalling conditions, the
safety of the food products produced, for animal health biosecurity, and the environment.
The care of livestock and its treatment at the various points on the food chain process is very
poor and the cruelty witnessed by the consultant was medieval and wholly unacceptable for
a potential member state of the EU.
6.3.2 Recommendations
Albania has to adopt EU standards of animal welfare and in particular regarding food
animals.
This will be a monumental challenge as the prevailing mind set will be difficult to change and
the inspectors and regulatory authorities, as is the case with most regulatory functions in
Albania, has no control and no established system.
Photos 35 and 36. Livestock transportation needs to be radically improved.
A starting point would be targeting the movement of livestock, the markets and the abattoirs.
The closure of ad hoc, unlicensed abattoirs and prosecution of slaughtermen/butchers
should be a priority for the Albanian authorities. This would ensure that livestock is
slaughtered in proper abattoirs falling under state control and employing humane methods of
killing. At the moment these facilities are underused and under threat of closure as they
cannot achieve economically viable throughput capacities while competing with butchers and
back yard slaughterers.
The regulatory authorities need to be aware of the standards to be achieved and in this
regard they need regulation and guidance followed by underpinning training.
Changes in practice particularly regarding internal livestock practice will require investments
by the farmers and there may need to be some kind of financial assistance offered by the
government for this or, as has been the case with international livestock movements, the
investment has been made by the hauliers through necessity.
6.4
Human Capacities in the Animal Healthcare Waste Management
Systems
6.4.1 Conclusions
There are three types of individual operating in the current approach to animal healthcare
waste management:
1. Individuals trying to do the right thing but lacking the infrastructure and resources to
do the right thing
2. Individuals who really don’t know what the right thing is to do but if they did know and
had the right supporting infrastructure they would do the right thing
3. Individuals who really don’t care whether they have the knowledge or not they will do
whatever is easiest
All three of these characters exist in the Albanian system and we have to try and empower
those at 1 and 2 and hope that those at 3 are driven to comply with the initiative.
It is clear that regardless of the attitudes of key system stakeholders what is missing is a
benchmark set of guidelines backed up by a legislative instrument for the safe management
of animal healthcare waste.
This should be a priority and there needs to be investment in the system in order that
individuals have the infrastructure necessary to implement the system based on the
guidelines.
Training should be developed and delivered to underpin the national guidelines. This training
should be delivered in line with EU standards of Vocational Education Training delivery.
6.4.2 Recommendations
The development of a legislative instrument covering the management of animal healthcare
waste and an associated guidance document for both the regulator and the system
stakeholder.
Investments in the sector to ensure that the system implementation is properly resourced.
Development and delivery of a vocational training programme relevant to both the regulator
and the system stakeholder.
In addition to the above the consultant suggests that through PAZA and the SELEA technical
assistance project to the Ministry of Environment Forests and Water Administration there is
an Inter-Agency exercise on a disease outbreak in Albania to assess the worthiness of the
agencies of Albania to deal with such an event. This could be conducted in September 2013.
The details of this will be agreed upon in discussions with the relevant EU Task Managers,
line Ministries and project team leaders. A proposal in this regard will be submitted to the EC
Delegation by the consultant through PAZA in late May.
Photos 37 and 38. People in the sector must understand that placing animal healthcare
waste in earth pits adjacent to the laboratories, and leaving it there untreated, is not an
acceptable waste management practice.
6.5
Food Safety and Veterinary Institute (FSVI/ISUV)
6.5.1 Conclusions
The situation at ISUV is extremely poor and there needs to be a radical intervention to
improve what is a desperate state of affairs.
The management of waste seems completely ad hoc and the use of the on-site incinerator
seems to be on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.
There is no plan and no system and the whole waste management process, incinerator
apart, lacks any form of investment whatsoever.
As a national institution its waste management performance is a national disgrace. The
facility and the grounds are littered with waste storage and waste deposition areas none of
which are acceptable in a modern healthcare waste management context.
The management of waste at the institute is a serious threat to the environment and to
human health.
Photos 39 and 40. ISUV badly need a waste management plan. The idea of the cardboard
incineration boxes above is that they would be used not discarded unused. The dead dog in
the grounds of ISUV right outside the main building is indicative of the state of the situation
there.
6.5.2 Recommendations
1. All waste currently stored in and around the site should be identified and catalogued
and disposal methods for them identified and the costs for provision of this disposal
service are calculated. All wastes identified and catalogued must be placed in secure
containers to avoid further risk to human health and the environment.
2. A waste management plan must be drawn up for the institute and training provided to
ensure its successful implementation. This should include the establishment of a
waste working group at the Institute. In addition the plan should take account of
existing resources and be built around the incinerator and autoclaves as treatment
and disposal options.
3. The infrastructure requirements for this system in terms of bins, sharps boxes and
plastic bags must be identified and the costs calculated in order that system will be
implemented sustainably.
6.6
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
6.6.1 Conclusions
The state of the waste management system at the veterinary faculty is extremely poor and
there needs to be a radical intervention to improve what is a primitive situation. The
veterinary faculty should be teaching new potential veterinarians best practice but in fact the
students are merely learning the worst possible practices in regard to the impact of animal
healthcare waste management on the environment and human health.
There is no plan and no system and the whole waste management process lacks any form of
investment whatsoever.
As a State veterinary faculty its waste management performance is extremely poor. It
employs waste management methods that are wholly unacceptable for such a facility.
Photos 41 and 42. In some case tradition has a place in a modern facility but in other cases
the inability to modernise practices, particularly in regard to waste management, is a serious
setback to institutional credibility.
6.6.2 Recommendations
1. All waste currently stored in and around the site should be identified and catalogued
and disposal methods for them identified and the costs for provision of this disposal
service are calculated. All wastes identified and catalogued must be placed in secure
containers to avoid further risk to human health and the environment.
2. A waste management plan must be drawn up for the institute and training provided to
ensure its successful implementation. This should include the establishment of a
waste working group at the Institute. In addition the plan should take account of
existing resources and be built around the autoclaves as treatment and disposal
options. An incinerator may need to be considered.
3. The infrastructure requirements for this system in terms of bins, sharps boxes and plastic
bags must be identified and the costs calculated in order that system will be implemented
sustainably.
4. IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN
In addition to the Inter Agency exercise mentioned in the text above, the implementation
action plan takes cognisance of short-, medium- and long-term objectives in each of the five
areas assessed.
Photos 43 and 44. The proposed interagency exercises on disease outbreak with
strengthen communication between line Ministries particularly at the interface with the
inspection function to improve effectiveness and efficiency of this government service.
Effluent discharge from abattoirs and incineration operations are good examples of an
interface with the environmental inspectorate.
The consultant suggests that the short terms activities be activities which can be undertaken,
subject to allocation days and additional funding, through the current PAZA project while
those actions to be undertaken in the medium to long term would be post PAZA project.
In this regard therefore and given the extent of the objectives and associated actions it would
therefore seem prudent that in addition to the interagency exercise described above the
PAZA project concentrated on the development of a national guideline and then centred the
activities around the ISUF.
This would involve clearing up the waste stored there, training staff, investing in secondary
consumables and implementing a new animal healthcare waste management system
throughout the institute. The benefit in starting at ISUF is that it already has both an
incinerator and autoclaves for waste treatment and disposal as well as being an ideal
learning platform for other stakeholders and their facilities once the system is fully functioning
at the ISUF.
These above actions would be manageable under PAZA and would be a step on the road to
a more global animal healthcare system through the sector in Albania.
IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN
Implementation Timeline
Assessment Area 1
Animal Healthcare Waste Management & Associated Human Capacities
0-3 mths
3-12mths
Objective
Implement a System for the Safe Management of AHCW
Action 1
Develop Legislative Instrument for the Management of AHCW
Action 2
Develop National Guideline for the Safe Management of AHCW and shoot a short film highlighting both
good and bad practices as a resource to underpin the national guideline document
Short
Action 3
Develop and Deliver Vocational Education Training Programme
Short
Action 4
Calculate Investment Requirements for AHCW System Infrastructure
Medium
Action 5
Make the Appropriate Investments and Implement System
Medium
Action 6
Monitor the System through an audit and Make Corrective Actions as Necessary
Assessment Area 2
Bio-Security of the Food Chain
Objective
Implement a Biosecurity System for Livestock in Albania based on the EU and RUDA Ear Tagging
System
12-24mths
Medium
Long
Action 1
Review RUDA ear tag management system and identify weaknesses making recommendations for
improvements
Medium
Action 2
Implement corrective action from review above and monitor implementation
Medium
Action 3
Engage international stakeholders in countries of origin of cattle imports to Albania and agree on
joined up approach to livestock movement monitoring. Develop user friendly protocols in this regard.
Medium
IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN
Implementation Timeline
Action 4
Calculate Investment Requirements for Objective Implementation and therefore System Infrastructure
Medium
Action 5
Develop inspection guidance for critical control point inspectors i.e. farms, border crossings, sea ports,
airports, livestock markets, abattoirs, retail outlets and livestock transportation and conduct an
awareness raising campaign
Medium
Action 6
Develop and deliver an underpinning vocational training programme for inspection functions at critical
control points i.e. farms, border crossings, sea ports, livestock markets, abattoirs, retail outlets and
livestock transportation
Medium
Action 7
Develop protocols to ensure that the inspection function is appropriately co-ordinated and that each
veterinary inspector understands his/her role in the system and that there is inter agency co-operation
throughout the process.
Medium
Action 8
Make the Appropriate Investments and Implement the System
Long
Action 9
Monitor the system through an audit and make corrective actions as necessary
Long
Assessment Area 3
Animal Welfare
Objective
Improve Animal Welfare Performance in Farmed and Imported Livestock in Albania
Action 1
Conduct a thorough review of animal welfare practices
Medium
Action 2
Develop legislative instruments and guidelines based on EU standards
Medium
Action 3
Develop training programmes for key regulatory system stakeholders and awareness raising
programmes for other stakeholders
Medium
Action 4
Conduct a review of practices to assess the effectiveness of the initiative
Long
IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN
Implementation Timeline
Assessment Area 4
State Veterinary Institute (ISUV)
Objective
Implement a Functioning Sustainable Animal Healthcare Waste Management System
Action 1
All waste currently stored in and around the site should be identified and catalogued and disposal
methods for them identified and the costs for provision of this disposal service are calculated. All
wastes identified and catalogued must be placed in secure containers to avoid further risk to human
health and the environment.
Short
Action 2
A waste management plan must be drawn up for the institute and training provided to ensure its
successful implementation. This should include the establishment of a waste working group at the
Institute. In addition the plan should take account of existing resources and be built around the
incinerator and autoclaves as treatment and disposal options.
Short
Action 3
The infrastructure requirements for this system in terms of bins, sharps boxes and plastic bags must be
identified and the costs calculated in order that system will be implemented sustainably.
Short
Assessment Area 5
State Veterinary Faculty
Objective
Implement a Functioning Sustainable Animal Healthcare Waste Management System
Action 1
All waste currently stored in and around the site should be identified and catalogued and disposal
methods for them identified and the costs for provision of this disposal service are calculated. All
Medium
IMPLEMENTATION ACTION PLAN
Implementation Timeline
wastes identified and catalogued must be placed in secure containers to avoid further risk to human
health and the environment.
Action 2
A waste management plan must be drawn up for the institute and training provided to ensure its
successful implementation. This should include the establishment of a waste working group at the
Institute. In addition the plan should take account of existing resources and be built around the
autoclaves as treatment and disposal options. An incinerator may need to be considered.
Medium
Action 3
The infrastructure requirements for this system in terms of bins, sharps boxes and plastic bags must be
identified and the costs calculated in order that system will be implemented sustainably.
Medium
Capacity Building Phase
Vocational Educational Awards and Training have been a cornerstone of the UK Education
system for decades and they continue to provide an opportunity for candidates to undertake
the training whilst in employment and at their place of work.
All UK vocational training awards are mapped to the European Qualification Framework
(EQF) and are based on a series of industry developed National Occupational Standards
(NOS). These awards are delivered through a network of approved centres under the
stewardship of the National Qualification Authority.
In regard to the waste industry there is a suite of awards which addresses the management
and treatment of wastes using variety of management and technology applications.
In the absence of specific awards for certain key industry sub-sector interests there is the
possibility for industry stakeholders to develop their own award and to have that award
mapped to the EQF.
This type of award it known as a Customized Award and one such award was available for
the Management and Treatment of Healthcare Waste in the UK through the Scottish
Qualification Authority (SQA).
The award was developed and owned by Trust Waste Management Limited an SQA and
Waste Management Training & Advisory Board approved national training centre in Scotland
with experience in delivering this type of award internationally.
In this regard a proposal to deliver this award to 16 Albanian candidates from the Veterinary
Healthcare Sector as a component of the PAZA project activities was submitted to, and
thereafter approved by, the EC Delegation offices in Tirana.
Introduction
The Ministry of Agriculture provided the project training team with a list candidates who
would undertake the award and a programme of delivery was devised by the project team.
The candidates came from a cross section of the veterinary healthcare sector and there was
a good geographical split from across Albania.
There were however two groups of candidates from the key veterinary institutions in Albania
the State Veterinary Faculty (FMV) and the State Veterinary Institute (ISUV). This was a
welcome addition to the training as it meant that there was the possibility to utilise these two
institutions as focal point in terms of future initiatives regarding the training of the trainers.
A three week programme of study was also developed based on a combination of theory
and practical components. The theory component which would be based on a series of 20
Power point modules also included a series of embedded exercises to be undertaken in the
classroom.
The intention of the course programme was to deliver training on a daily basis between the
hours of 0900 and 1630hrs however the candidates preferred to work from 0900 and
1500hrs by skipping lunch and afternoon coffee break. This was agreed and although it was
not possible on the days where site visits were arranged it worked out well in classroom
based training days.
The training team then developed a series of 20 Modules to accompany the 20 units in the
actual vocational training award.
The candidate’s progress through the award was recoded on a simple candidate
management spreadsheet.
The training team also developed a list of exercise to accompany the PPT modules and the
complete list of exercises undertaken by the candidates is outlined below.
Ex.
Practical Exercise
1
Discussion on ISUV/VET Faculty Waste Audit Report – PAZA
2
Establish List of Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and WEE Waste at ISUV and Vet
Faculty
3
Produce a list of Recyclable Materials from your Institution
4
Conduct a Risk Assessment and Develop a Method Statement
5
Conduct a Waste Survey at ISUV/Vet Faculty
6
Develop a Waste Reception Protocol for a Healthcare Waste Treatment Facility
7
Review the Site Operations of a Healthcare Waste Treatment Facility
8
Develop a Waste Collection System for ISUV/Vet Faculty
9
Develop a Maintenance Checklist for a Healthcare Waste Autoclave
10
Conduct a Waste Performance Audit at ISUV/Vet Faculty
11
Develop a List of Action Points from the Waste Performance Audit at ISUV/Vet
Faculty
12
Develop a Waste Policy for your Institution
13
Develop an Organogram for your Institution and Suggest a List of Members for a
Waste Working Group
14
Develop a Budget for the Waste Management System to be installed at ISUV/Vet
Faculty
15
Develop a Waste Management Services Contract Procurement Checklist for your
Institution
16
Develop a set of Performance Indicators for a Healthcare Waste Management
Contract
17
Develop a Cleaning Services Performance Audit Form
18
Develop an Interview Selection Checklist
19
Develop a Staff Appraisal Form
20
Create a Grievance Procedure for your institution
In addition to the above the candidate had an additional two tasks to undertake in order to
demonstrate their competence and to achieve the award. Firstly they had to complete 20
candidate narrative statement in order to demonstrate that they understood the training
modules and therefore the award units. These candidate narratives would be reflective
accounts of how the particular unit/module subject area was relevant to their working
environment.
Secondly the candidate was provided with a list of documentary evidence items relevant to
each of the units/modules and the candidate was requested to gather as many items from
the list as possible from their own place of work.
Prior to the commencement of the training programme the candidates were given an
induction training module and were additionally issued with a set of Personal Protective
Equipment, a clipboard, a pad of lined paper and a pen. Candidates signed for these items
which were paid for from the PAZA project incidentals fund.
Candidates were also required to sign in to every day of training and attendance sheets
were circulated daily in this regard.
All training materials were given to the candidates in both electronic and hard copy and the
State Veterinary Faculty now has a complete electronic version of the training course in
regard to veterinary healthcare management in the Albanian language.
Award Delivery
The PAZA training team conducted an assessment of the veterinary healthcare system, in
term of waste management and bio-security in the early part of 2013. During this mission it
was established that the veterinary education system did not include a provision for
vocational education in the context of continued professional development.
In addition it was noted that most of the capacity building conducted by the international
community in Albania was limited to training, conferences and workshops none of which
required the attendee to do very much to achieve a certificate of attendance.
On reviewing the outputs from the 5 week assessment mission it was agreed that any
provision of training to the veterinary sector should be tangible and that it should involve a
process of award by achievement.
The PAZA training team proposed to the EC Delegation that a core group of veterinarians
were actually encouraged to undertake an actual vocational training course accredited to the
European Qualification Framework and based on existing National Occupational Standards
in the United Kingdom.
This proposal was agreed by the EC Delegation and as a consequence candidates
successfully completing this EU award in Healthcare Waste Management & Treatment
would have genuine EU educational currency.
The training award was delivered at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Agricultural
University of Tirana and the training team was given a dedicated training room within the
faculty for the duration of the training. The candidates reported to the training daily at
0900hrs and the members of the training team were also able to use both the faculty itself
and its farm as a training resource as well as using the Food Safety and Veterinary Institute
(ISUV) for waste auditing purposes.
The candidates were each issued with a personal portfolio in which they kept any materials
which they had collated during the duration of the course including notes from site visits,
practical exercises, photographs and any documentary evidence. These personal portfolios
and their contents were assessed by the training team prior to submission to the Scottish
Centre for consideration of approval.
During the training course the candidates were encouraged to make a presentation on
topical issues and in this regard a series of presentations were delivered by the candidates
and by an invited guest on a variety of issues relevant to the overarching subject matter of
animal healthcare waste management.
In addition a number of field visits and field exercise were planned in order to demonstrate
the practical aspects of healthcare waste management in the broader context of animal
healthcare. In this regard site visits were arranged to
• a sanitary landfill site at Sharra, Tirana;
• a municipal dumpsite at Elbasan;
• the Border Crossing Point with Macedonia at Qafe Thane;
• the Medi-Tel Healthcare Waste Treatment Facility, Kashar, Tirana;
• SALUS Hospital, Kashar, Tirana;
• Queen Geraldina Maternity Hospital Healthcare Waste Treatment Plant;
• Tirana University Hospital Centre – Mother Teresa (French Hospital) and their Healthcare
Waste Treatment Plant and lastly to the Veterinary Institute (ISUV) incinerator plant.
Some of the candidate were absent from the training due to prior commitments and the
candidates were given the opportunity to catch up with the missed work at a series of catchup sessions organised by the training team. All of the candidates therefore completed the
course.
Candidate Certification Process
All the candidates were given a deadline of Friday 15th November to finalise their personal
portfolios. The training team collected all the remaining materials from the candidates on this
date.
The process then involved an Albanian expert reviewing the materials submitted by each
candidate with a UK Assessor and mapping those items to the requirements of the
vocational training award.
This process is known as the candidate assessment.
Once the assessment process has been completed the assessor sent the personal portfolios
with a decision on each candidate’s competence to the TWML Vocational Training Centre in
Scotland.
At the Centre the Internal Verifier (IV) reviews the decision made by the Assessor based on
the evidence in the personal portfolio and, if the IV agrees, then the candidate is put forward
by the Centre Co-ordinator for resulting with the SQA.
Results
Subject to the assessment and verification process it is likely that all of the candidates who
actually undertook the award will have successfully completed the award and proved their
competence in the subject area.
All the candidates applied themselves to the course programme and although in the first
couple of days the situation looked very different they all applied themselves to the tasks and
worked extremely hard both as individuals and teams in order to achieve the award.
One of the products of the programme was the development of an implementation action
plan for the implementation of an EU standard healthcare waste management system in
both the State Veterinary Faculty and the State Veterinary Institute.
In addition the State Veterinary Faculty also have a readymade Albanian language course in
the importance of Animal Healthcare Waste Management and the plan is to introduce the
course as a series of core education modules to the current veterinary undergraduate
programme.
This will provide the faculty with an opportunity to introduce this topic in the context of
disease control, bio-security and the broader environmental/public health impact of the
veterinary healthcare sector in Albania.
Lastly the training team have provided the Veterinary Faculty with two risk assessment tools:
1.
Health & Safety Risk Assessment Methodology
2.
Environmental Risk Assessment Methodology
And these tools can be used on a practical level when planning veterinary activities in the
field on when dealing with veterinary healthcare issues which may have an impact on the
broader environment.
It is hoped that the Faculty will utilise the resources delivered to them by the PAZA project
team and that they will be a useful resource in facilitating the much needed improvement in,
and modernisation of, the veterinary healthcare education system in Albania.
Certainly the 16 trained candidates could now form the backbone of a training team which
could deliver this award to all state veterinarians in Albania.
The candidates were presented with symbolic certificates by Minister Panaritti at the PAZA
final conference. The UK certificates from the SQA and WAMITAB would be available to
candidates in early January 2014.
Conclusion
This component of the PAZA project has undertaken and completed at the 11th hour of the
project life. It is a relatively small component in the context of the larger overarching project
agenda. It does however address many deficiencies within the current veterinary healthcare
system and those issues can be summed up as follows:
1. According to candidate feedback on the training course there is an appreciation by them
of the structure of the training programme which was a mix of theory and practice. It seemed
to be an innovative training method to the candidates and perhaps it is a methodology that
should be adopted by other training initiatives in the future.
2. In addition the jointly developed national guideline document for the safe management of
animal healthcare wastes will be an excellent resource for the veterinary sector and it has
been demonstrated through the examples of implementation at both the State Veterinary
Institute and the State Veterinary Faculty that the implementation of such an EU standard
system is NOT cost prohibitive to these institutions.
3. The Faculty now has a complete electronic training programme in the Albanian language
for the management of animal healthcare wastes and this can be introduced to the
undergraduate training programme for all veterinarians.
4. The problem however with both the training programme delivered and any future training
programmes incorporated by the Faculty is that there is a gap between the teaching of best
practice and legislative compliance and the actual practices on the ground. This must be
addressed by the Ministry to ensure that the training programmes are relevant to practices in
the field. If the Ministry are serious about animal healthcare then they need to demonstrate
this by committing to the establishment of a modern veterinary curriculum as well as modern
practices in the field.
Recommendations
As a consequence of this component of the project the PAZA project team recommends that
the Ministry should take the following steps:
1. Commission a review, by an Albanian veterinarian, of the national guideline for the safe
management of animal healthcare waste and the drafting of an implementation plan for the
guideline in both the state and private sector.
2. Adopt and implement the national guideline in a sustainable manner, for which a specific
budget should be allocated. In this regard an implementation plan should be developed. This
should include equipment for veterinarians in the field, in regard to waste management,
biosafety (health & safety) and biosecurity.
3. Review the undergraduate veterinary healthcare curriculum and include at least two
modules addressing the issues of (a) animal healthcare waste management and (b) biosecurity.
4. Prepare an instructional film (video) to highlight good and bad practice, for use during the
modules that have already been developed.
5. Review urgently the veterinary sector and draft a set of National Occupational Standards
with an associated vocational training programme for the role of a state veterinarian and, in
particular, in regard to their role as inspectors of livestock and livestock handling facilities.
This should include clear inspection protocols and matched investment at the border control
points. These standards do already exist for other sectors and adaptations could be made to
make them specific for the veterinary sector.
6. Designate the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (or another suitable institution) to deliver
veterinary postgraduate training and in terms of continuing professional development (CPD)
and training course accreditation.
7. Provide selected veterinarians who were trained as part of the PAZA project initiative with
additional training in respect of training as trainers: they should then be responsible for the
training of all veterinarians at a vocational educational level in Albania.