About 200 operations a day are being cancelled because of the CKUK surgeon strike

The health strike was organised by the Health Union Federation on December 26th and lasted 72 hours. Afterwards, Federation of Health Union Chairman Blerim Syla after meeting with government officials had paved the way for social dialogue, ordering the strike to be halted.

Even so, surgeons were the ones who had decided to continue the strike. Their demand is to raise pay through the adoption of the Bill on Salaries, which is currently in the adoption procedure.

Arber Morina, a surgeon, told Free Europe Radio that the professional university surgeons have decided that the strike will not cease. According to him, the strike has already joined 157 surgeons from all over Kosovo.

Among other things, Morina said that although the decision has been made to disrupt the strike on the part of the Health Union, it has not been respected by the latter, since, as he says, this union has never adequately represented surgeons.

The reason why the professional college surgeons are on strike is that the union has never represented us adequately or correctly, it's never carried out the demand of health professionals, so health is also in the state that it's”.

“We are unpoliticalised professional college, without political overtones and we are the largest group of Kosovo intellectuals. We're 157 vet surgeons, and we're not a small group, and if we're called a small group, it's a pity”, Morina said.

According to Morina, for the past 20 years of the war, surgeons have done much, so he underlines, it's time for this job to be appreciated.

“Exactly what the surgeons are looking for is 10 out of 5 since the union has been discussed, which we are currently ranked even below”, Morina said, referring to the pay cofficient.

Otherwise, medical professionals are paid about 600 euros a month for the work.
On the other hand, the chairman of the Federation of Health Union, Blerim Syla, said that since 2010, when he heads this Federation, the wages of doctors have increased from about 200 euros at the time, gradually to about 600 euros.

He also added that the cofficiency 10, meaning wages of up to 4 thousand euros, does not belong to Kosovo standards, when it is known that the average salary in Kosovo is around 170 euros.

“Cirugs that are on strike, I think are enthusiastic who do not know the reality in Kosovo. They require salaries of up to 4 thousand euros, which does not concern economic growth nor reality in Kosovo. If they can get through the government, I'll be right behind them. But they're fighting for some individuals until I'm the leader of 14,000 health workers. How can a surgeon ask for 4 thousand euros, when the average salary in Kosovo is 170 euros”, Syla said.

Meanwhile, Arber Morina says that although surgery or operations have ceased, emergency cases are being carried out and no patient's life is being violated.
No emergency case left untreated. They're out of surgical selective services, which means 200 operations were suspended at KKUK. These operations are not under way, and this has been made impossible due to the neglect we're getting at”, Morina said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Albattri Matoshi's media adviser Albattri Matoshi said the government has welcomed the strike break by the Kosovo Federation of International Health.

We're also tracking the CKUK surgeon strike. We believe the USKKK's management will best manage this situation. Of them we have reportedly had regular meetings and is working towards a” solution, Matoshi said.

The government expects strikes in the health sector to cease, so that dialogue about wage growth is given a chance, according to the current bill, which is awaiting approval from the Assembly of Kosovo.