Number similar to past years, Kurtishi: Oncology services performed at QKUK, once a month in Prizren

So said Oncology Clinic Director at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo (QKUK), Ilir Kurtishi.

He estimates this is good news for Kosovo, as it shows a stable trend of these diseases, especially during the first four months of this year.

This year we have the same number of patients or new cases compared to the previous years, especially 2025 and 2024, and this is a very good thing for Kosovo, since the trend of these diseases is in some stable form. We hope that the rest of the year will be as low as possible, but after the first four months, it is seen that the situation is similar to the previous years. We hope that this trend will be preserved and, normally, dominated by breast disease in male females and lungs, which are the most frequent mountain diseases in adults and require oncological treatments on us”, Kurtishi told EO, broadcast Periscope.

He says that the challenges to dealing with malignant diseases exist worldwide, as he says these diseases require maximum commitment and specific treatments to bring under control and improve patient life expectancy.

“The challenges to treating malignant diseases exist all over the world, because the disease is such as requiring maximum commitment and specific treatment so that it can be controlled and the patient will benefit in life expectancy. However, from day to day, oncological services will also advance in us and treatment will become even more sophisticated and special for these diseases”, Kurtishi said.

Kurtishi said that treatment of cancer patients in the public sector takes place mainly at the Oncology Clinic in Pristina, while once a month these services are also offered in Prizren.

The treatment of malignant diseases, as in the single public institution, is done at the Oncology Clinic in Pristina. Once a month, oncological services are also offered in Prizren, where more than 100 patients, especially those who suffer from breast cancer and prostate cancer and who take procedure or intravenous forms of oncological treatment, are visited by a doctor oncologist and receive service in Prizren. This serves not only the citizens of the Prizren municipality, but also those from Suhareka, Dragashi and surrounding municipalities. In time, I hope that even special doctors who are in training at our clinic, after completing specialization, will serve at Prizren Hospital, with the consent of the Ministry of Health and SKKKUK, according to policies set by the Health Ministry”, he said.

Currently, there are only 12 oncologists and five radio therapists in Kosovo.

However, Kurtishi says, despite these limited capacities, the Oncology Clinic manages to provide about 99.9% of oncological services in the public sector, considered one of the most functional public institutions in the country.

Because the capacities are only 12 oncologists across Kosovo and five radio therapists, this is a number of doctors who performed the necessary treatments at the Oncology Clinic. According to some recommendations that exist in Europe and the countries of the region, if the patient's distance from the oncological center does not exceed 200 miles [200 km], the centers with expanded capacity can provide appropriate services. I always say that Oncology Clinic is the only clinic that performs the treatment of cancer patients in the public institution and 99.9% of oncology services are taken in the public sector. Compared to other services, where a certain percentage is offered in private institutions, this is the only clinic that can be considered a champion in providing public services in the Republic of Kosovo, the same as the Blood Transfusion Centre, which provides the blood for public institutions. Despite infrastructure and human capacities, the clinic meets the conditions necessary for correct treatment of malaria”, he said.

Kurtishh stated that if the current situation is compared to that of 10 or 15 years ago, the difference is very large in dealing with malignant diseases.

When we compare where the Oncology Clinic was 10 or 15 years ago and where we are today, the difference is great and very significant in providing correct treatment for malaria”, Kurtishi concluded. /Periscope/