Increase cases of heart surgery

cardiovascular diseases, which touch the heart and blood vessels, according to the World Health Organization, are considered to be the first cause of death. Meanwhile, Kosovo has no health reference system, and therefore, there are no precise statistics about the mortality that cause heart disease.

The Invasive Cardiology Clinic and Cardiosurgy has treated many more patients in 2019, compared with the preceding year, says Tefik Bektesh, director of these two clinics. He told Radio Free Europe that these two clinics have started operating with two operating halls, which has contributed to increased the number of health services for patients.

Nevertheless, the waiting list continues to remain in operation and expectations occur up to 45 days for choreography, he said.

This year's “are operating two halls in cardiosurgeology and two in intensive 7 beds. As for the number and procedures at the clinic, last year we had 210 open - heart surgery, until this year 306 operations. There were 1,300 stations last year, until 1600x1>, Becketshi said.

The waiting list exists, but by January 1, 2020, we have made the decision that for all patients on the waiting list to be set the exact date of service that they will receive”, Bekteshi said.

Patients have to pay for such services for setting up stentire and choreography, but not for heart surgery.

“A stent at QKUK costs 350 euros, meanwhile, the choreography costs 150 euros, which patients should participate”, Bekteshi said, confirming that for heart surgery it is not paid a cent.

On the other hand, Basri Sejdiu, director of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, indicated that increasing the number of patients at the Invasive Cardiology and Cardi Kosovo clinic has enabled investment made this year in these clinics.

During 2019 alone, investments were made in the second hall with the new angiograph, which has cost 2.4m euros, with all preparations for the hall, already in Cardiosurgeology, the second room has also been functional. Likewise, working with a health staff will at these clinics has increased flow and volume”, Sejdiu said.

Unlike these clinics, at least two anesthesiologists and nurses are missing. Framework employment in absence has not been achieved due to lack of budget, they say at QKUK.

The mortality rate for heart disease at QKUK, according to Bekteshi, is about 4 percent, which he says is comparable to developed countries.

During this year, the Invasive Cardiology Clinic has also started a program to treat acute heart attacks within 120 minutes. This project is aimed at reducing the mortality of patients who experience heart attacks, or acute mouseard heart attack, which causes high mortality in patients worldwide.

This programme, already implemented only in Pristina, envisions the patient being treated for the first two hours after a heart attack, until 2020, according to KKUK responsible, will expand throughout Kosovo.

The functioning and modernisation of health services within the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, according to KKUK officials, has influenced patients not to be forced to seek out of Kosovo or private hospitals only, where, according to them, prices for certain categories are unaffordable.