Anesthesiologists flee from QKUKUH

Three anesthesiologists have released work Monday at the University Clinical Centre in Kosovo (QKUK). This has been confirmed for Radio Free Europe, Nehat Baftiu, director of the Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine Clinic.

He said that increasing the number of patients with COVID-19 (the disease that causes Coronavirus) has made work difficult within clinics where these patients are treating them.

Anesthesiologists don't have enough, unless all services are closed, so tumor operations and other emergency diseases are not operational, and we only do COVID-19. Three colleagues left work yesterday. We're very bad with human resources. They have not been able to cope every third day with custody, and the pace of work is difficult. Normally they have offers in private hospitals with salaries of up to four thousand euros, until here the monthly salary is around 600 euros”, Baftiu said.

Anesthesiologists, among other things, provide patients with oxygen support and oxygen therapy, support with ventilators with all options for mechanical ventilation, respiratory therapy, total invasive and non-invasive monitoring of patients, etc.

Patients with COVIDD-19, who are in more serious health condition, need oxygen treatment.

One of the anesthesiologists who released the job is Ardian Hoti. He for Radio Free Europe said he has decided to quit work in the public sector because he has received offers from a private hospital in Pristina, under better working conditions and wages.

But, he said his moral and professional duty has been carried out, as he has been constantly working with patients with COVID-19 until he was employed at KKUKUK.

I worked in Sports Medicine, which means I did my moral and professional part, served in the center of COVID-19. The reason (the departure) was simply economic. I got a good offer, which was the use of the moment and they needed anesthesiologists. It's a private hospital”, Hoti said.

In the public sector, the doctor's monthly salary is about 600 euros a month, until nurses pay for their work at about 400 euros.

I've been working with custody, and of course it's difficult, but we have a commitment. If need is required, I will still serve, but that I have just watched my interest and I think that I can give from myself to patients in that hospital where I start work, as working conditions are good”, Hoti said.

Over 400 patients, infected with coronarys, are extended to the clinics of the Kosovo University Clinical Centre (QKUK) and to general hospitals.

The Hospital Service and the University Clinic of Kosovo announced on Tuesday that, in total, the number of hospitals is 608, but of them 414 patients are infected with coronarys.

Of the hospitals, 376 are in oxygen therapy, 24 have been placed in respiratory respirations, while 23 in respiratory vehicles known as CPAP.

Currently, about 40 anesthesiologists work in the CKUK. Baftiu said that about 30 anesthesiologists are divided to patients with COVIID-19, working during the day as well as caregivers, while others are engaged in 18 emergency surgery units and gynecology. According to him, this number of anesthesiologists is insufficient for emergencies handled within the KKUK institution.

It's the fifth year the Health Ministry has not shared specializations for anesthesiology. If we had specialists, we'd better cover the situation with COVID-19. These anesthesiologists who are not in charge of COVID-19, we distribute them to clinics, because there are people who have had traffic accidents, or they have burst out blind intestines, or tumors, and we have judicial-penal responsibility, if man dies in the absence of anesthesiologist”, Baftiu said.

In contrast, anesthesiologists in intensive care also treat patients in critical condition (oppressed and not operated), who have serious vital function disorders and need special treatment.

Meanwhile, about ten anesthesiologists and over 30 nurses of the Clinic of anesthesiology and intensive treatment within the framework of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo have already been infected with coronarys.

In recent days, in Kosovo the number of Coronavirus infected has been over 200. Only Tuesday were 239 new Corleone cases marked.

In Kosovo, since March 13th, the first cases of coronavirus since 7,652 positive cases were recorded. Of them, 192 patients have died and 4,129 have recovered.