Kosovar patients have bought kidneys of 800 euros in Pakistan, India

The injuries that the health system left the crime committed at the “Medicus” clinic, many years ago, are still felt today. Kosovo still has no law regulating the issue of organ transplants. For this job, Kosovo patients from post-war visit European countries to perform transplants

It's been more than 12 years since Mrs. 66 years old T.O., from the municipality of Lipjan, has performed the kidney transplant. She had long experienced health problems, of which she was subjected three times a week to the dyalise process at QKUK. But all her suffering ended when she found a kidney donor. But he was not her family, she didn't even know the person who would give her a part of her body.

This lady's transplant would necessarily take her out of Kosovo. This in absence of the country's organ transplantation law. She chose a state of southern Asia, Pakistan. In this state, based on domestic laws, Kosovo patients have provided the kidneys, buying them at cheap prices.

In Pakistan until 2006, kidneys were sold by various donors. The lady's family from Lipjan, T.O., with these donors came into contact via the Internet. The kidney was sold to them by a 24-year-old, where the adaptability of these organs was very good according to family.

At that time (year 2006), we had heard that kidneys are being sold in Pakistan. From Kosovo doctors we had only received the kidney transplant for our mother who was 48 years old at the time. So we also went to”, they're telling about the Express, the lady's family under the condition of anonymity.

And a kidney from these Kosovars in Pakistan had been bought at the price of 900 dollars translated into euros that amounted to about 800 euros. The entire medical transplantation process had nearly 6 thousand euros and was held at the state hospital in Pakistan.

“The egg depended on donors. We were given about $900 somewhere. We've been there for about two months.

But the same case as this Kosovars has dozens more patients. In 2006, according to doctors at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (QKUK), about 26 Kosovo patients have performed kidney transplantation in Pakistan.

Most from now, after 12 years, health therapies continue at QKUK, exactly at the Hematology clinic. About this case for Express, doctor Ibrahim Rudhan, a nephrologist at KKUK, spoke.

“... the way transplants are performed I don't know. We don't guide anyone for countries where transplants should be done. Even these patients who have performed transplants in Pakistan have come to QKUK as any other patients who have performed the transplant in Turkey or any other country. They took over transplanting into state institutions in Pakistan. Normally they are forwarded as all other patients”, the doctor says.

According to Rudhan, the health condition of most of these patients is good.

The state of health for most of those we monitor, follow up, it's good”, explains doctor Ibrahim Rhudhan.

But there are other Kosovo patients whose kidney transplants have been performed in Russia, India, and other countries.

Throughout the history of registered Kosovo are about 150 patients who have done transplants in different states. Most in Turkey and Albania.

In these two states, Kosovo covers some of the costs for patients. From the Health Ministry, they have clarified that within this year kidney transplant treatment has required 10 patients.

So far, within this year, financial support for treatment outside public health institutions through the TMJISP Program, based on references made to the Necrology Clinic in the SSKUK, have requested 10 patients. The amount spent so far on these cases is about 60,000.00 euros”, the Health Ministry's response to Express. According to the MSH, treatment countries are chosen most often by patients.

The treatment options are chosen by patients themselves, and usually these countries are like: Albania, Turkey and other European countries”.

And for the whole last year there have been 132 patients who have been issued references to perform kidney transplants and biopsy outside Kosovo.

The issue of organ transplantation in Kosovo has remained a taboo in Kosovo health since the case of “Medicus”. Illegal kidney transplants were performed in this clinic, which lay not far from the capital, mainly in foreign patients.