Removing visa risks for greater health staff escape

Even from representatives of this community, they say that now any measures the government will take to improve the conditions of health professionals will be late.

The chairman of the Kosovo Medical Oda, Plerat Sejdiu, says visa liberalisation for Kosovars in the Schengen area will influence the number of doctors from Kosovo to rise.

He stresses that the effects of this departure of doctors will be felt within a five-year period.

Infermies Union Chairman Progress Berisha also indicated that lifting visas would create great facilities for even the nurses' staff to continue working abroad.

He said there are currently shortage of nurses, but that would be even more pronounced in the future.

Berisha added that despite measures the responsible institutions will take, they will not produce results in halting the nurses' escort.

And Health Minister Arben Vitita said that the phenomenon of leaving health professionals even without visa liberalisation is happening, but stressed that they have taken measures to prevent this phenomenon.

And the health system in Kosovo in recent years has faced a major departure of doctors and, in particular, nurses. In 2022 alone, there were 205 young doctors who fled outside Kosovo, until about 60 health specialists left the Kosovo University Hospital Clinic Service to continue working in private hospitals in the country, where much better salaries were offered.

Meanwhile, about 630 nurses went to European countries to work.

On April 18th, the European Parliament approved the visa decision for Kosovo, which opened the way for the country's citizens to move visa-free to the Schengen area countries from January 1st 2024. While, a day later in Strasbourg, the European Union's legal act for visa liberalisation has been signed for Kosovo. /Kosovo pres/