Multiple patient requests for medical treatment outside Kosovo

This information, for Radio Europe Free, confirms Bardil Jerliu, head of the medical treatment division outside public health institutions.

“From 1369, what is the number of patients who have applied for financial support for treatment outside public health institutions during 2019 have benefited about 1200 patients”, Jerliu says.

It has also told of clinics which most frequently refer patients to healing outside public health institutions, due to the inability to treat them in Kosovo.

“Klinics, which most refer to patients for treatment outside Kosovo, are those with ophthalmological problems or eye disease, then pediatrics, heart problems, that is cardiosurgic diseases, mountain diseases, then orthopedicia, otorinoring the omato-oncology”, Jerliu said.

But, according to the World Bank, it is estimated that there are also 140m euros that Kosovo citizens spend on treating various diseases abroad.

Blerim Syla, leader of the Federation of International Health, says the World Bank figures are official and verified, but, according to him, in fact, the real amount of money Kosovo citizens spend on health care needs is much higher.

“These are World Bank figures, but we know there are also many citizens who are not declared and spent large sums that are estimated to total 200m euros”, says Syla.

“Cardiology and Cardiodrogyia, during 2019 has saved up to 5m euros in the state budget, since they have been functional and heart disease treatment services, services that citizens received at the University Clinical Centre in Kosovo”, Syla said.

One of the patients who didn't take advantage of this fund is Blerina. She had decided that during December 2019, she would travel to a state outside Kosovo to receive the necessary medical treatment for cancer, since that treatment does not apply to Kosovo.

“Hemorapy applies to Kosovo, but not some other therapies, one that I have had to get, does not apply in the country. That's why I decided to go abroad. Here they said that until next year the therapy that I have to get” doesn't apply, Blerina says.

And they haven't even released the document I need to be treated out. And as a family, we've decided to go by personal means, which I still don't even know how much it costs to be”, Blerina said long ago about Radio Free Europe.

However, patients have often sought services outside Kosovo even if the same are offered at the University Clinical Centre, as they have complained about the quality of providing those services.