Alarm: About 300 doctors and nurses are believed to have left Kosovo in the first three months of this year

Unemployment, poor working conditions, wage discontent, are some of the main reasons doctors are abandoning Kosovo

The Health Ministry says it is working to create good conditions for health staff in the country and that they are supporting and supporting doctors.

The Ministry of Health is continuing with investments in infrastructure and medical equipment so that professionals can demonstrate all their potential. Even in this year's budget, the provision of equipment aimed at establishing new services is envisioned, the Health Ministry for FrontOnline says.

Also, the MSH says there will be salary increases and next year.

Kosovo's government has increased wages for health professionals, and currently a doctor's salary in Kosovo is among the highest in the region. In addition to economic development with positive progress, growth in the salary cofficiency will continue next year.

The ministry says they are supporting doctors who have chosen to work only in the public sector.

The Ministry of Health is supporting doctors who have chosen to work only in the public sector at extra pay, the MSH says.

The head of the Kosovo Medical Oda, Plerat Sejdiu, has shown the number of doctors who have left Kosovo during the first three months of this year.

As for the number of doctors, the trend is continuing the same. To date, 29 doctors have received the necessary employment documentation in European states. So there are 29 doctors who left in the first three months of this year, which is the same number as the first three months of last year, he says.

Sejdiu says the reasons for the departure of doctors from Kosovo are unemployment, working conditions and conditions of quality professional schooling.

We now and how many years we do a survey or questionnaire for the reasons why doctors are leaving Kosovo, and the main reason for running away is unemployment because we have 441 unemployed doctors declared in the Ministry of Finance and ATK this is the first reason, and the second reason is working conditions and quality of professional schooling and the third reason is wages given that you have these most general graduates and their salary is about 700 euros.

The head of the Kosovo Medical Oda further shows that there have been more than two years since the oda he runs has not been meeting with the Ministry of Health.

According to Sejdiu, the oda he runs, but other options have requested meeting with Health Minister Arben Vitita, but have not received answers.

We haven't had meetings with the N.N. in more than two years, except for our rule reports that we send all of them, including the ones I mentioned above. We've made a formal request to all the Oda leaders, about two months ago to make a meeting and discuss with the minister about implementing legislation that belongs to the OW and the MSH, but we haven't received answers and don't know why, says Plerat Sejdiu, chairman of the OPC.

Kosovo doctors' departure from Tevide Imer, head of Federation of Health Unions, is concerned

She says that if this trend continues it will be disturbing.

If the trend of leaving doctors as well as 2023 is followed, adding to the fact that new measures, which have taken places like Germany, we can say that this year's number can be even more disturbing, Imer points out.

Imer says that according to information she has about 300 doctors and nurses who have left Kosovo.

We don't have an exact number for this three months. About 300 is the number according to the information she says.

For Erin, challenging is the lack of doctors and anesthesiologists.

The absence of labour doctors, anesthesiologists and deficit Quadrov, continues to be challenging.

She says they have met with Health Minister Arben Vitita, where they have also received several pledges.

We have met with Minister Vitita within the social partnership and where we have discussed this issue and made a priority of our commitment from him, we have received promises of his commitment to improving the quality of service delivery through the development of Quadrov, working conditions and continued professional education, says Imer.