Silva Shametaj Ruli, the Albanian doctor who lives in San Marino for 30 years

Silva Shametaj Ruli, credit: Facebook

 An Albanian doctor in San Marino. Silva Shametaj Ruli has been living for 30 years in this small country where she practices the profession of surgeon.

"I arrived here 30 years ago in 1990, I was part of that group of families of Italian origin who have been repatriated and settled here because my ex-husband was an athlete and competed for San Marino. So I followed the family," Silva says.

But why did he choose to stay there? She says she had heard very little about San Marino and it was an unknown reality for her. "I was the first Albanian and foreign family to come here because it is a conservative mentality. For the San Marines, it was also a kind of wonder of this foreign family that entered this territory. "I stayed because the course of my life conditioned me to learn for my diploma from the beginning, to do work when I was in the system here", she continues.

Silva re-graduated from the Polytechnic University of Ancona after completing her studies in Albania and received the title of the surgeon, starting work at the San Marino State Hospital as an internal medicine doctor. She then specialized in this field and little by little continues her career.

This country also faced the pandemic more or less like Italy being in the middle of it, but the borders were closed faster and the population testing was done better because of the hospital as dr. Silva said, has the financial strength and human resources to cope with this situation.

Silva after a tiring day at COVID-19 era, credit: Facebook

As for the Albanians, there are very few, and they started coming after 1995. "The Albanian community is small because as I said, there are strict rules to enter and live here," Silva says to Diaspora Shqiptare.

She says that she does not miss Albania because she goes to Albania almost every month.