Europe

The phenomenon: Bathrooms in public hospitals have suddenly become private property. Usually the cleaning staff manages the restrooms. They say they do not get paid enough, so they follow people down the hall to collect what they think is owed them.

Their daily bread: Individuals have claimed public restrooms as their private property. They say that their children would starve if not for this business. “I have been working here for the past three years. Two of my sons do the cleaning, while my wife and I collect the money,” says an owner of a public restroom in the capital. Most restrooms charge between 200 and 300 lek [$1.34-$2] per use, and if you need toilet paper, you will have to pay an additional 100 lek [67 cents].

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Corruption of the white coats: There is a lot of talk about dishonest doctors. In fact, this is how most doctors are perceived by the public. Doctors, however, think differently: “We do not accept bribes; we accept only gifts. Why is there so much talk about a mere 2,000 lek [$13.46] that patients give to doctors when they pay as much for a good lunch? We should not forget that doctors are duty-bound to save lives, not to rob people,” says Dr. Ahmet Duraku of Hospital No. 1. Were it not for these gifts, he says, Albanian hospitals would be staffed only by cleaning people, so meager are the salaries of doctors.

The cause: A pediatrician recounts: “True, we do accept small amounts of money, but they are barely enough for coffee. It is not right to criticize doctors for this. What we accept is minimal compared to what we give.” Dr. Duraku continues: “Our salaries are very low. We cannot make ends meet with 12,000 lek [$80.80] a month. We spend more than half that amount on utilities and plain bread.”