Under government Kurti, Kosovo for two years imported 8m euros of Serbia's medicines

Despite earlier statements by Health Minister Arben Vitita, who said that the time has passed when Kosovo sought out the procurement to receive tenders from a Serbian company, blaming the opposition for these actions, according to data from Kosovo Customs in the last two years alone, have been imported 8m euros of medicines from Serbia.

The time has passed, Mr. Haxhiu, when MPs have come to the Office of Procurement and have demanded from the procurement to receive the tender to a Serbian company with vitamin C and have put pressure on procurement. You know that”, was the Statement of the Year at the Health Commission on February 14th of 2023.

The drug “Tramadol”, which was part of the Ministry of Health Essencial Bars List, turns out to be just one of the drugs that was bought by Serbia despite the executive decision that prevented the import of products from the state on 14 June 2023.

In 2023 from Serbia, Kosovo imported 8 drugs, which total around 3m euros, while in 2024 to August 29, Kosovo imported 9 medications, whose total value is over 5m euros.

That means for two years Kosovo imported close to 8m euros of medicines from Serbia.

According to data that Kosovo Customs has sent to the Albanian Post, the drugs which have been provided by Serbia during 2023 are, <x0-varoxins for human medicine, vaccines for veterinarian medicine, medicine meant for retail sales containing penicillin and derivatives, with a peticulan acid structure or streptomyin, or derivatives from them”.

Medications imported by Serbia
“Medicanals handed over for retail, containing other antibiotics, customized drugs for retail, containing cortic adrenaal hormones, their derivatives, or analog structures, prescribed drugs for sale with other content, doctored medicine for retail, containing vitamins or other products of the head No. 2936, doctors' medicine for other retail sales, and others”.

Nearly all the same drugs have been provided by Serbia even during 2024, “vaccinates for human medicine, doctored medicine for retail sales containing penicillin, and derivatives from them with a petinic acid structure or streptomycin or derivatives of them, meant for retail sales that contain additional 84x1>.

“Diculated drugs for retail containing adrenaal adrenaal hormones, their derivatives, or analog - structured paraparates, customized drugs for retail sale, with other content, retail-based medications containing vitamins or other products of head No. 2936, doctored medicine for sale of other retail, filling and articles from fillings, bandages, and Garage articles, others”.

The chart that Customs sent included <x0) other” drugs, but not with concrete names but only their amount.

From the opposition, it was said that the same was true of some infusions, but that, according to them, whenever Kosovo provided drugs from Serbia, it has passed quietly.

For the drug “Tramadol”, Albanian Post for 22 days had expected an answer from the MSH regarding this contract, which was published in the media to learn why the same was done with Serbia.

The answer he accepted was that “related to your questions, pray that you address the SKKKUK for answers”.

Former Health Minister Amend Zemaj, in a conversation for Albanian Post, had clarified that securing the drug “Tramadool” is not the first time this Government deals with Serbia to provide drugs.

It had happened in 2023, but it is not the case that even the institutions of justice have dealt with this case with the seriousness needed.

Even before this year we have reacted that there have been transfusions imported from Serbia, but it has been quietly passed by both the justice organs and the statements I have had in the name of LDK, and now the same action is continuing”.

With such decisions, he claims that the Government is violating the decisions it has made and that it estimates that these decisions are being made for the financial interests of certain power-related persons.

The government first violated its decision because it has the executive's decision to ban imports from Serbia, and that shows their clear postponement, fraud only for their financial interests and often those we're used to seeing populist and electoral”.

For Zemajn, the drug supply in this government is “the worst mark” of four years.

Government decision banned import of Serbia's products in Kosovo

On 14 June 2023, the Kosovo government had announced that it prohibits imports of goods from Serbia, a day after Serb forces had arrested three Kosovo police officers, even though this decision never became public.

While police have emerged from custody to defend in freedom, the measure of halting most products from Serbia is said to have continued.

The stop has been removed only on the import of raw materials and semi-productions, but not on ready products as well.

The European Union and representatives of the business community in Kosovo had several times asked the Kosovo government to abolish this stop.

In Kosovo in the absence of law enforcement, the same drugs continue to be sold at various prices.

On the other hand, since the post-war in Kosovo, public hospitals in Kosovo have never met an essential list of 100 percent drugs.

As a result, there has been a constant lack of them and patients have been forced to buy them themselves during treatment.

The health budget amounts to 345m euros, since the post-war budget is considered the highest dedicated sector.