MS plan if Coronavirus arrives in Kosovo

The Committee on Infectious Disease plans to respond to Coronavirus, not to indicate that there are enough drugs.

The Committee on Infectious Diseases, formed by the Ministry of Health, announced yesterday that it has prepared and adopted the plan for readiness and response for the new Coronavirus, Covid-19.

Almost all public health institutions, government agencies, and the Kosovo Security Force and the Kosovo Police are involved in this plan. The committee is said to require the Government to create a quarantine in case of need.

But the announcement does not reveal whether health institutions are supplied with sufficient amounts and types of medicine and materials in case of need.

“Plani has set tasks for each institution that has responsibilities in its implementation and envisions the response to each possible scenario in the evental epidemic cases: the easy and severe”, said the MSH report.

Full announcement:

The Committee on Infectious Diseases has prepared and approved the Coronavirus Plan of Willing and Response

The Committee for Monitoring Infectious Diseases in Kosovo, appointed by the Ministry of Health, has approved on Friday the Coronavirus Plan for Coronavius, Covid-19 (Verzione 1.0), part of which activities have been undertaken these days in order to prepare for the evental cases of this virus.

This plan within which dozens and hundreds of inter-sector activities break down has to do with planning and prevention; monitoring the situation and risk assessment; risk management and co-ordination; institutional organisation; research and response; and communication (information) and risk communication.

The plan has set the tasks for each institution that has responsibility in implementing it and envisions response to each possible scenario in cases of eventual epidemic: easy and harsh scenarios.

The measures taken so far have been co-ordinated with the OBS Office in Kosovo, and have taken precautions and guides from the European Centre for Prevention and Control of Influencing Diseases (ECDC) and so far are under way on the stand-by Plan.

This plan also details ways of clinical management of cases, safeguards for health personnel, laboratory capacities and treatment. Connecting between health care levels with agencies and other institutions outside the health sector and many other measures, which could be changed depending on the development of the situation in the country and on global levels related to David-19.

The committee, through the Ministry of Health, will also ask the Government for additional capacity-building measures ( already identified) for applying specific measures as quarantine in case of need.

In the process of implementing the Freewill Plan, reactions are included:

▪ Health Ministry ( MSh);

▪ Kosovo National Public Health Institute (IKSHPK);

▪ University Clinical Center ) Infectious Clinic and Emergency Centre (QKUK/KI, QE);

▪ Regional hospitals

▪ Emergency Management Agency (AME);

▪ The Kosovar Agency for Products and Medicines (AKPPM);

▪ Kosovo Veterina and Food Agency (AUV);

▪ Kosovo Security Force ) Ministry of Defense (FSK, MM);

▪ Kosovo Police (PK);

▪ Health and Sanitarian Inspectorate;

▪ Municipal Health Directors;

▪ Main Centres of Family Medicine (QKMF);

▪ Centers for flu cases (ILI), ARI and SARI and the new Coronavrin-19.

Also, depending on the source and spread of infection, other institutions are involved in the process:

▪ Municipal veterinary services;

▪ Institutions and bodies identified by government;

▪ Other relief partners.

The Committee on Infectious Diseases suggests that at the moment in Kosovo there are no cases of coronavirus, and for now, it is being worked on a daily basis for risk communication and public information, although it is noted, that in the absence of information, there are also different individuals that, perhaps without purpose, cause confusion and panic with semiinforms about dealing with the issue in Kosovo.