Lack of essential drugs burdenes treatment of patients at KKUK

In almost most public clinics in Pristina, there is currently a lack of some of the drugs on the essential list, while patients interviewed by Radio Kosovo point to difficulties in providing needed therapies.

N.V. One parent, at the entrance of the Clinic of Pediatrics, shows two bags of drugs he has just bought, and most of them are glucose 5 percent and antibiotics.

You should buy them yourself. They just write it to us on paper we should buy”, says this person who accepted only initialally quoted.

Another mother also at the Pediatric Clinic, who spoke on condition of anonymity, indicated that most drugs had to be provided.

I'm treating the boy even an injection I bought. All the therapy I bought myself,” she says.

A woman in Cardiology clinic also points to the same problem. I have three days in total, and most of the therapy we bought ourselves”, she says.

A woman lying at the Obstetrical Clinic of Gynecology also indicated that she has purchased much of what she needed. Except for the distilized canoes and water, I bought the other”, she says.

The clinics' responsibilities have not talked about the drug issue, but doctors in the department have also confirmed the serious lack of drugs and other health equipment.

The Health Ministry has not commented on the drug situation at the country's main hospital centre, saying in a written response that this is the competence of the Clinical and University Hospital Service.

In response to Radio Kosovo, the University Hospital Service has mentioned that most clinics have supplies, while some “are in procurement procedure”.

Besim Kodra, from the Association of Patients' Rights, says that given an analysis made last year, it turns out that most drugs in public hospitals are bought by patients.

“Throughout Kosovo, there is trouble with supply of domestics. We study that we've done with about 2 thousand people has resulted in about 70% of them getting their own drugs”, Kodra says.

In drugs near the perimeter of the country's main hospital centre, pharmacists also point to demands for missing medicines on the essential list.

We have many requests from patients. There's not even in the central public drugs or in private”, she says.

The head of the Kosovo Pharmacists' Oda, Kadrityqi, says the lack of drugs stems from irregular purchasing decisions and procedures.

We've come to a situation where there's a shortage of drugs. But even where they themselves supply the Ministry of Health is lacking”, Bytyqi says.

The budget for drugs on the essential list was higher this year, however, delays in procurement procedures and the enforcement of the Law for Barnat Prices have been some of the biggest causes of drug supply disorder in public hospitals. / RTK/ Periscope.