Doctors will leave Kosovo unless wages rise

The Federation of Kosovo Health Unions is demanding that some changes in the wage bill be made that would create a more meritier place for health personnel in the country.

These requests are presented to the table organised by them, where the wage bill was discussed as part of the legislative package of reform in the Public Administration.

Federation of Kosovo Health Unions Chairman Blerim Syla said that despite the changes made in the health sector, the aspect of wages for health workers leaves much to be desired.

He has also shown the departure of doctors and students for what he said if the cofficiency they seek is not met, their departure will continue.

Syla extending the Federation's demands for compliance with the wage law said that dentists, clinical psychologists, have not been ranked in this bill, while an inadequate ranking for nurses has been made.

What the Federation of Trade Unions demanded is to conform to the rules, the provisions that have been brought into that law. We've asked that the doctor's cofficient be six, and then we're going to go with 0.5 to the family doctor, to the general doctor and doctor in specialization. We've seen shortcomings there that haven't been ranked as dentists, doctors, dentists, clinical psychologists. While for nurses who are with bachelors and humble nurses we've seen a poor and unpleasant ranking... on three levels of what appears to be the attempt to manipulate and we've proposed to have only two categories, the Bachelor level to be paid by 2.7, while the level of nurses paid at 2,2”, Syla said.

The FSSHK chairman also expressed concern over the age of medical staff working in the health sector in our country.

Health Minister Uran Ismajli said there has been an intense focus on improving medical infrastructure in the country, adding that in Kosovo health it should be invested in better treatment of patients and investment in education for health workers.

Speaking of the removal of health personnel from Kosovo, Ismajli said the main mechanism for health personnel to stay in Kosovo is dignified wages.

He said that under the new law on wages, doctors will receive much better salaries than they have so far, and that this law needs some changes.

When we approached the salary increase, we approached them in two ways, the first of a long demand that should be paid a lot for a high education, for very complicated procedures and for long hours that have been paid to pay for health personnel has not been appropriate... The law is the right move in the right direction there's a huge breakthrough in paying medical professionals, so it's a big difference from what they've been paid and that they're expected to be paid if there are places where we can change... I'm a very powerful ally of this law to pass naturally with some improvements, but we can't afford to miss the opportunity to pass this law because if we don't pass the law, we're going back to zero<1>, said Minister Ishmael.

Parliamentary Commission for Labour and Social Health Chairman Besa Baftiu said the law on wages has been necessary since the same positions in Kosovo so far have been paid differently from one institution to another, and which makes up inequality.

Baftiu has requested standardisation in terms of additions to all categories, adding that they should not exceed the value of more than 30 per cent.

The “in this bill has political positions and in administration are more valued than in health and education, as well as the level of additions is not equal. In some cases special additions are 50 per cent a few 30 per cent, and in some 20. I think there's going to have to be a standardization for additions that are worth and then for all categories. I think that basic pay should be increased, while the level of additions should not exceed 30 percent of the basic salary under any circumstances, this creates opportunities for misuse and creation of inequalities“, Baftiu said.

Democratic Party of Kosovo MP Bekim Haxhiu has demanded that a special classification for health personnel be made into the wage bill.

When we're in the law we see that the classification that was done in the law isn't appreciated, it's not estimated that all academic and scientific establishments of health personnel are appreciated, because in the doctor, experts end up everything in the sense of specialized payment. This wage law should make a special classification in health in relation to other civil servants”, he said.

The bill on wages days ago passed to Government and was prosecuted in the Kosovo Assembly.