Kosovo leads dead in the region, patients are reporting “late” in hospitals

Last week of July marked the beginning of an increase in the number of deaths in Kosovo of patients infected with Coronavirus.

On July 30th in Kosovo, 16 people died in one day, which was the largest death toll since the first cases were presented. The same number of deaths Kosovo registered even on August 6th.

Since March 19 when the first cases of coronavirus appeared until August 8th, 315 patients affected by COVID-19 have died in Kosovo.

Salih Ahmeti, infected at the Infectious Clinic at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (QKUK), tells Radio Free Europe that the number of deaths has increased because the number of hospitals has increased.

A patient, who even in regional hospitals is admitted to an advanced stage of the disease and where the possibilities and care are limited and until they come here, the disease is complicated even more and of course its treatment, sometimes not in good performance. It seems that in the last few days we have had the most severe encounter of COVID-19”, Ahmeti says.

Ahmeti says patients are being delayed to hospital, and this is also making it difficult for the medical staff.

“Sometimes there are cases that tend to cure ambilliaries, sometimes with self-intensives, and they waste that time more appropriate for their adequate treatment and when they come to the hospital in most cases they come with a very heavy condition, when treatment opportunities are far more limited”, Ahmeti says.

Most patients who are infected with the new coronary need oxygen intake. And severe cases require respirators, mainly anesthesiologists.

According to the latest data published by Hospital Service and University Clinic, in regional hospitals and QKUK clinics, 480 patients confirmed with coronary patients are being treated. Of them, 13 are in heavier condition and are placed in respiratory conditions.

Nehat Baftiu, director of the Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine Clinic at KKUK, told Radio Free Europe that 20 years ago there is a lack of anesthesiologists in Kosovo.

“Patients infected with the Sars-Cov-2 virus (Vj. The new coronary needs respiratory support. Anesthesiologist is the most popular professional to take the respiratory route, anesthesiologist is called to gather patients and put them into ventilators and respirators. Other professionals are not summoned to this job and do not know this work”, says Baftiu.

Baftiu: Respirators lack, not anesthesiologists

In the last five years, according to Baftiu, no specialization for anesthesiologists has been shared.

There is no “Respiratory sounds, but there is a lack of people, there is a lack of staff anesthesiologists. We can buy respiratories as much as we want, but we can't produce anesthesiologists within five years, says Baftiu.

From July 29th to August 8th, 138 patients with COVID-19 have died in Kosovo. This number of victims is much greater than in other countries in the region.

From July 29th to August 8th, 44 patients have died in Albania. The slightly larger number of victims has been scored in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Between July 29th and August 8, 88 patients have died there.

Meanwhile, 81 patients have died in Serbia, while small numbers of victims have been recorded in Montenegro. In this neighboring country, 14 patients who were infected with coronary have died.

In northern Macedonia from July 29th to August 8th, 47 patients from the Coronobrus have died.