CKUK patients on waiting lists from 2020

Kosovo's University Clinical Centre is overloaded with about 10,000 patients suffering on waiting lists for essential medical services.

The National Auditor's office found that most of them roam at the Vascular Surgery Clinic, followed by Ortopedia, Oftalmology, Cardiology, Radiology, and Cardiosurgia.

The average reception there totals almost three years, according to the Auditor report, which was released late last month.

The audience claimed responsibility at the Ministry of Health and the Kosovo Clinical Hospital and University Service (SHSKUK), saying these institutions have not managed to create the necessary conditions for treatment in time of patients.

The ministry did not respond to Radio Europe Free for Comments, while the USKKUK said long expectations would continue for a while.

According to the audience, such a situation contributes to a critical lack of medical personnel, especially anesthesiologists, which leads to postponement of operations.

Four Years of Waiting

Remembering from Decani, the central part of Kosovo had to wait more than three years to operate veins on one leg.

Radio Free Europe He spoke to her on September 9th on the day he was lying in the Vascular Surgery to undergo surgery.

How urgent his case was, he said he did not know, but that “Hospitality was exhausting”.

I'd probably go to a private institution, but I didn't have the chance. The public system, I also trust the more”.

Intervention in private hospitals in Kosovo costs at least a thousand euros, while this service is not paid at QKUK.

In the CKUK Vascular Surgery, the audience also found cases of patients registered on a waiting list in January 2020, which were operated in April 2024.

The clinic's director, Hajriz Rudari, numbers two reasons: lack of anesthesiologists and beds.

The long - awaited cases, he says, are those with problems in the veins, which, as he says, are easier.

Our clinic handles various diseases, including artery problems, ventrosis problems, and adds diabetes to pathology. We are the only country in Kosovo, where we deal with the problems and complications of the diabetes foot. The diabetes gap requires long treatment at the clinic and [bed shortage] ] except the lack of anesthesiologists is why long waiting lists --” are created, Rudari says.

In the clinic he runs, there are 24 beds for all kinds of pathology.

According to the staff, it can be accepted every day by 24 patients, provided those patients are released one day after accession.

But that is impossible because a patient stays in the clinic, on average, five days.

The clinic's data from 2019 1923 shows that there, each month, on average, 106 patients have been treated.

Why are anesthesiologists a problem?

QKUK has Anesthesiology Clinic, from the experts in this field engage in operating and non-opperative halls of all clinics, which total 32.

Anesthesiology has, actually, 48 anesthesiologists.

According to its leaders, the number is insufficient to cover all demands on time.

The difficulties are added also because of their commitment to the frequent custody every sixth day and then every third of”, says director Gazmend Spahija of Radio Free Europe.

This clinic, for years, faces reduced numbers of anesthesiologists.

Many of them have gone to private institutions or migrated abroad, mainly to EU states.

So far this year, two have left, according to the Kosovo Medical Oda. While, in 2019-2023, 29.

Besides anesthesiologists, there are other specialists leaving the CKUK.

In the last five years, according to the Oda of Doctors, a total of 142 have been removed.

This oode says that the reasons for those leaving are related to poor conditions at QKUK and wages, whose basic value is about 1,200 euros.

An anesthesiologist who left the KKUK a year ago, but did not want to be identified and provided details to the institution where he is now engaged.

For a big job at KKUK, you are paid as much as others who do much smaller jobs”, he said briefly.

The audience report says the USKKUK, which oversees The QKUK and seven regional hospitals in Kosovo have developed during the years 2019-2023 two process of recruiting anesthesiologists.

According to the report, only 23 of them were recruited at the time, meaning that not all displaced doctors have been replaced.

The leaders of KSFKK say the Anesthesiology Clinic needs at least 100 anesthesiologists in order to provide services on time.

According to director Elvir Azizi, their absence will continue for a while.

Next year, specialization in anesthesiology is expected to complete over 15 doctors, but it is not certain that they will all serve in the public system, because some have self-financed their skills and have the right to choose.

I think that with a slightly better organisation there may be improvements. We are working in this direction”, Azazi said at a meeting of the USKUK board that was held last week.

The Kosovo Ministry of Health, in co-operation with KSF, makes the planning of human resources.

But this minister did not answer REL questions about the audit findings.

Other Problems

In addition to the lack of anesthesiologists, long - waiting - list clinics have other defects, for example, otamology, for a time have been missing lentils and prosthetics.