Lack of doctors, several family medicine centres in Pristina villages shut down

Even this Wednesday, Kastrati has turned to an ambulance in Shkabaij, Pristina, which is now a month and a half, not offering health services.

There are about a thousand residents of this village who have at one time no access to health services.

Pristina municipality officials, in a written response to TIME, have said the situation with the pandemic, respectively, the infection of health personnel and subsequent reorganisation have led to the decision to close.

Because of the pandemic situation COVID-19, infection of health personnel and reorganization of the time and operation of the Family Medicine Centers have forced the closure of all Family Medicine ambulances (AMF) in the villages, but only the nursing service is provided. We apologize from citizens, but we hope to quickly overcome this situation and return to our previous functioning and delivery of health services throughout the territory of Pristina. In the meantime, citizens can obtain these services at the nearest” Family Medicine Centers, it says.

However, the Pristina municipality has said that all those citizens who cannot receive services in their villages can take them to the nearest Family Medicine Centres.

There are 14 family medicine ambulances in the Pristina municipality.