In private hospitals, only serological tests for COVID-19 will take place

This method of testing correctly determines whether there is a virus in the body and is based on the analysis of srisho samples in the nose and is currently done only at the National Institute of Public Health.

One of the government of Kosovo's new measures for preventing the COVID-19 pandemic is exactly “lication of private health institutions to conduct tests for COVID-19, is in line with the laws in force”.

But, according to Faik Hoti, the health ministry spokesman, private clinics will only be able to run serological tests. Serological tests are the ones that can be proven if a person had a coronary and was done through blood samples.

Hoti says increasing the population's level of coverage with tests for COVID-19 is a strategic goal of a draft planning of the working group established by this ministry along with the Kosovo National Public Health Institute, (IKSHPK), including private health institutions.

As specific objectives are the application of virological, serological tests and, in their context, rapids. In terms of application of virological tests, the testing process is meant to be decentralised and except I KSHPK, tests to conduct even regional public health centres that are under the authority of ICHPK.

“KSHPK and regional centres both at family medical centres, but also in private health hospitals, provided they are licensed with the criteria, the Health Ministry will determine. With permission to test the private sector will be monitored by the IKSHP as the only institution to conduct valid tests for COVID-1950, Hoti said.

Valon Sopa, leader of the private laboratory énazaly in Pristina, told Free Europe Radio that they are willing to start doing serological tests. But, he says they have not yet received any news that they can apply for license at the Ministry of Health.

We have the device that we do different tests. We have two devices, two different producers. Both companies have offered us serial tests for COVID-19”.

“Serological serology is made of blood, and is controlled by immunity or antibodies from COVID-19. So more is to see if the person has had contact with the infected person and has developed infection. Meanwhile, we have no equipment or staff prepared to run vista tests, as does the National Public Health Institute”, Sopa said.

Insufficient tests?

Meanwhile, since the beginning of the pandemic in Kosovo has been described as not having enough tests for COVID-19.

The maximum number of tests that were conducted within a day at the IKSHPK was about 400.

Meanwhile, microbiologist Lul Raka, speaking of Radio Free Europe, said increasing the number of cases in recent weeks has increased the requirements for testing beyond existing capacities in IKSHPK.

He said that if taken into consideration that for every positive case there are an average of 36 contact persons and they all want to be tested, it would be that in 100 confirmed cases, daily requests for testing are close to 3,600 tests per day.

So, as he says, that's what pushed me. The KSHPK, depending on the stock, should be tested according to the order of priorities by focusing on symptoms, endangered groups and health workers. Raka, however, thinks testing in private health institutions would offer citizens who seek to know their health status with COVID-19, be it current (with PCR testing) or past (with serial tests).

The “in this category could be tested for people who have requests for summer vacation travel (as there have been demands for Montenegro), fellow countrymen' demands for a return to countries where they live or test without any clinical authority. In the private sector, testing people who do not have symptoms could also reveal the asmitographical positives, who play an important role in spreading the disease. Therefore, in these cases diagnostics would help track cases and prevent disease, Raka said.

Infectian Sali Ahmeti, seeing the large influx of patients infected at the Infectious Clinic, said that increasing the number of any test would disrupt the rise of infection, and certainly would be an aid to the infectious clinic, given the current situation, and that the clinic is burdened with disease.

We're focused on managing people with symptoms, that's treating them. But increasing the number of tests would help as all persons of contact are tested will stop increasing the number of infected people, Ahmeti said.

However, according to the Ministry of Health, by the end of this year it has been thought that Kosovo has 100 thousand virological tests and twice the serological tests, with which the population will be tested in order to diagnose COVID-19, but also to see the degree of people's gained immunity that have never been diagnosed with coronary.