Kidnapping with young specialists, multiple health - care problems

The problem has begun since 2016, when the government stopped opening specialist contests. In order to complete the number of missing specialists, the Ministry of Health opened the contest on July 30, 2020, to accept some 1,500 specialists. So far about 1,300 have been admitted.

The departure of doctors from Kosovo, as well as the average age of doctors, who are said to be over 50, has alarmed health authorities for the need to increase the number of doctors.

Representatives from the Kosovo Medical Oda say the institutions have failed with the specialist admission process because, according to them, there has been no co-ordination between health institutions and options representing the employees of this sector.

Radio Free Europe has managed to speak to one of the specialists at the University Clinical Clinic, which spoke on condition of anonymity and told of the problems facing it, since the Ministry of Health, along with the heads of clinics, did not provide any details about special systems.

Some specialists have problems because they haven't found the mentor yet. Others have no work space even though they have signed contracts to start professional schooling”, he said, without wanting to mention the name.

According to him, there are many specialists who have not yet started the practice because “has no room either at the base clinic and are currently staying at home until a solution is made”.

Clinics loaded with specialists

Medical training is done when a medical student finishs school, but he needs to specialize in a certain direction.

The director of the Stomatology Clinic, Shefqet Mrasor, says all accepted specialists will be accommodated, even though, the clinic is overloaded with large numbers of specialists.

“We are aware that the clinic is loaded with over 100 specialists”, says Major for Radio Free Europe.

The director points out that on the basis of the possibility and condition of the pandemic, specialists will also be used.

We have presupposed specialists to be at least twice a week inside the institution -- once or twice a week -- to perform online lectures and to be given [the details] seminar work. When the candidates are in the operating room, be as active as possible and not be overlooked”, Major added.

Kosovo Doctors' Flight Continues

The chairman of the Kosovo Medical Oda, Plerat Sejdiu, considers that the basic conditions for opening such a competition for recruiting specialists have not been met.

The moment we don't know or perform contests without planning on what floor we need specialists, how much we've learned, we get to a situation like we have today. It is very true that much of the specialists have only been sent and because of the large number, are doing secondary work and are unable to do schooling, which is guaranteed by law”, Sejdiu points out.

Sejdiu says the process or competition for specialities is not transparent, and according to him, it is still not known what is the final number of people to be accepted in the process. However, he says that the need for specialistship has been evident.

“needs co-ordinated specializations based on the need and potential for the regular development of these new doctors. I'm responsible for saying it's a mess, and who's going to get it is the new doctors. Since at least four or five young specialists, who actually got specialisation, I got confirmation that they're watching to leave because under these conditions, they can't benefit anything”, Sejdiu said.

According to data from the Federation of Health Union, in 2020 alone over 100 doctors have left Kosovo. Based on a research done by this federation, 90 percent of young doctors have claimed that if they could, they would leave Kosovo to work in other countries.

Sahin: Each year a specialist competition should be held

In July last year, the Health Ministry founded the Board for Special Schools, a board with a three-year mandate. The board's chairman, Labinot Sahini, told Radio Free Europe, that they are aware of the large number of specialists' admissions, but as he put it, this “has been a necessary necessity”.

We know it's a big number. Much easier to accept from 200 or 250 each year, and much easier. But have we had that comfort in waiting for 250 each year and leaving 1,000 out? We haven't had the comfort because it's not our fault. The only way it was because it's the basic right of each doctor”, Sahin said.

“Now must work on changing administrative direction so that there are no more obstacles to specialisation. It should be done annually, by law, for the ministry to announce competition for expert schooling”, he added.

Sahin has denied that any of the accepted specialists have remained unsurpassed.

The three candidates can have a [mental] specialist who meets the criteria, but in cases where we have greater numbers of specialists, then we can be with recommendations on the expert committee, the board approves more than three”, Sahin explained.

The Kosovo government at its meeting on 15 March has approved the decision to pay specialists with self-finance between March 1st and October 31st, 2021.

The fee for these specialists is about 500 euros.