The most modern Tomographic Scanner in Albania was introduced at the Annunciation Orthodox Diagnostic Center, which is run by the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania. The inauguration took place on Saturday, March 18, with Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana and all Albania presiding over the initiation of the scanner in the presence of the Minister of Health, Mr. M. Cikuli; the Minister of Labor, Mr. K. Barka; the Ambassador of Greece, Mr. P. Karkabatsi; and many others who were in attendance.

 This scanner (General Electric, Light Speed Pro32) is a spiral type, multi-detector with 32 cuttings in one rotation.  It is characterized by high speed scanning which may be used for conventional and circulatory examinations. Because of the high speed with which it performs the examinations, it can complete a scan of the thorax and abdomen with only a single breath inhalation. Heart scanning can be performed in 12-15 seconds. The scanner achieves high resolutions and can create high-quality 3-dimensional images in a short period of time. The scanner will be operated by professionals who were specially trained outside of Albania.

 The scanner was provided by the initiative of Archbishop Anastasios and with the cooperation of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, two Greek NGO’s (the Orthodox Center “Poreuthentes” in Athens and the Human European Network of Human Development, Ioanina).  Seventy five percent of the cost was financed by the Service for International Development Collaboration of Foreign Ministry of Greece. The effort to collect the funds for the scanner began 5 years ago with the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affair, Mr. A. Loverdos, and was completed by the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affair, Mr. E. Stilianidis.

The Annunciation Orthodox Diagnostic Center was opened in the year 1999 (with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople presiding over the inauguration). There are 24 different units of the Diagnostic Center equipped with the latest technology and highly trained staff. The Diagnostic Center is staffed by well known doctors who are highly trained in their respective fields.  Health care is administered to about 2,500 patients every day, regardless of religious affiliation.

 Medical clinics of the Orthodox Church exist also in other parts of Albania (Korça, Kavaja, Lushnja, Gjergucati, Gjirokaster), and a mobile dental clinic provides free dental care to young and old people in different parts of the country.