Kosovo still without child cardiosurgeon

The University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, there are no conditions nor frameworks that make the diagnosis of children with heart disease.

Ramush Beiqi, cardiologist and pediatricist who for Radio Free Europe explained that if Kosovo had Quadro and adequate means that would diagnose heart disease from the womb, birth would take place in a place where heart interventions in babies could be carried out shortly after birth.

He says there is no progress in this area for years.

In Kosovo there are nearly 400 children a year born with heart abnormalities. Of them, about 200 need surgery, which they need to take abroad.

Beqiri said that during November alone, eight children with heart abnormalities have been born at the University Clinical Centre.

The situation is chaotic. Some professionals have knowledge, others do not. We don't even have cardiosurgeon. Early diagnosis does not mean abortions, but it does prepare for the child to be born where there is opportunity for proper intervention”.

Many children die in Kosovo. This is a modern disease where children die worldwide - those born with anomalies. But if we did a better perinatal skrening, we would greatly reduce infant mortality”, Beqiri said.

Parents with heart conditioned children because of their inability to operate abroad wait years to conduct regular checks within the KKUK.

Bekim Berisha, from the village of Skywright, has a 10-year-old son with heart problems. He gives additional details about the difficulties of treating his child.

We've been waiting a long time. Here they're saying that the operation cannot be performed, I can't operate outside. Doctors here are just saying wait. And we're waiting in distress. We've been like this for 10 years. The boy is now 10 years old and has heart abnormalities, so born,” said Berisha.

But, on the other hand, Shefqet Lulaj, gynecologist, says that Kosovo also has quadro for diagnostics, but also for treatment, but that it requires better co-operation among health professionals, including neonatologist, obstetricist, pediatric, cardiologist and all other areas requiring assistance for treatment, depending on the case.

Kosovo's “becomes a creature that, in addition, aims at early diagnosis of fruit inside the womb. There are three ultrasounds that will be made, which will have to badly detect fruit formations. That's why we're trying through conferences, continued professional education, which should also be done to examine the heart of the fruit in the second ultrasound a week set”, Lulaj said.

The Ministry of Health has no special fund for treating children who have heart abnormalities.

But some of these diseases are covered by the 6m-euro fund, earmarked for treatment of patients who help them receive services abroad if those diseases cannot be healed within Kosovo.

Since the end of the war in 1999, Kosovo has benefited many donations to the health sector. The United Arab Emirates have already formalised the start of plans for building a pediatric hospital in Pristina.

For the construction of this centre, 22m euros will be donated, where, according to competent officials, this hospital will be equipped with modern technicians. (REL)