Up to six hours waiting for specialist services in QKUK ambulances

Long expectations of receiving professional services in the ambulances of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo have become very difficult for citizens.

They're forced to wake up early and wait for hours in receptions, and if they're lucky, they're checked.

The large number of patients in these clinics, according to CKUK leaders, is due to the high number of cases referred to by other Kosovo municipalities.

Speaking to Radio Free Europe, Hamit Hajdari of Kacanik indicated that he had woken up at 5: 00 a.m. to arrive first in one of the expert ambulances of the University Clinical Centre in Kosovo in Pristina.

For Heidi, who traveled some 60 miles [60 km], waiting was long and laborious.

We were told to be here at 6:30 to get the numbers. It's been this working system for years. The patient's coming, you can see that. This is not right that it is a very long unnecessary reception”, Hajdari says.

If you can get the number early, you can do the first job, if you're late as some come, you're left between 6:00 and 12: 00 a.m. of the day, he says.

Patients should be before 7:00 in the QKUK ambulance.

They have to take turns, otherwise, they may remain uncontrollably, since doctors have a certain number of patients who check within shifts.

After 7:30 a.m., security members allow patients to approach the sports store to register and get a number but still wait.

Patients are from different Kosovo cities.

With the high number of patients referred to here, doctors have the duration of a visit that may be between 10 and 20 minutes.

But doctors do not always come.

I'm up at 5:00, I'm ready. I came to Malisheva... at 6:10, I had the bus and I came here at 7:00 in Pristina. I waited in line, got number six. Now I wait until the doctor arrives. I believe I have to wait an hour and a half, two, until the doctor comes”, relates Idriz Sertoll, who had traveled from Malisheva, over 40 kilometers from Pristina.

Waiting continues until doctors or clinic directors make their first visits to the clinics where they work, and then they start working in professional orients.

<x) We wanted to reduce the number, but since it's a big number, then we're trying to maintain the European standard, which is 17-18 ambulant patients. We've even gone to twenty, in order to grow it, but we've got cases since Monday, we're getting the number [of patients] up to forty, that's impossible. That's why we're dissatisfied with the” parties, Free Europe Radio Agim Berisha, a plastic surgery doctor, says.

Kosovo Hospital Clinical and University Service Director Elvi Azazi says it is working to facilitate patient controls in the specialist ambulances.

He says that services offered in the KKUK ambulances should also be provided in regional hospitals.

“The first direction is the organisational aspect, which means organising the work by offering a list of services guaranteed for each general regional hospital, including QKUK at”, says Asia.

This, according to him, is to direct patients to regional hospitals.

“The second aspect we're dealing with is the technical aspect, which means digitizing services, which will enable us a better assignment of the term for patients”, says Asia.

There are 22 total ambulances of various QKUK hospital clinics.

During one day, over a thousand patients receive services there.

Among them was Hajdari, who was in charge of his arrival for nearly four hours.

Yeah, after a three-and-a-half-hour wait, four, I was finally in control. It's a very long reception”, he says.

Because there are large numbers of patients in the CKUK medical ambulance, official records also show.

Between January and November 20th, some 220 thousand patients have received services in these clinics.