Lack of drugs patients between risk and high costs, USKUK response

This phenomenon, which has been reported repeatedly over the years, is directly affecting the quality of medical services and the access of patients to essential treatments.

In many cases, patients face a lack of essential drugs and basic materials, forcing them to provide themselves in the private market.

Such a situation not only increases the financial burden for citizens but also creates inequality in access to health services, especially for more sensitive social categories.

In this regard, the Ministry of Health said that the management of clinics at QKUK is the competence of the Kosovo University Clinical Hospital Service as a special budget organisation. So, on issues that relate to this point, please address USKKUK, reports Front Online, broadcast Periscope.

And on the other hand, the SHSKUK has remained silent.

The Association of Patients' Rights in Kosovo has spoken directly about the lack of drugs and extenuating material in public health institutions, saying this situation is directly affecting the well-being of patients and access to services. According to the Society, the continuing lack of drugs is forcing patients to buy on their own, significantly increasing financial barriers to obtaining needed treatments.

The lack of drugs and extenuating materials forces patients to buy for themselves, increasing financial barriers to service obtaining. This situation could lead to delays in treatment, cuts in therapies, higher risk of complications, lowering the quality of care, and weakening trust in public health institutions”, the association says.

The Society estimates that in addition to the financial impact, this situation has direct health consequences, as interruption or delay in treatment can exacerbate the patient's situation and increase the risk of further complications.

Former Health Minister Ferid Agani has raised the alarm for the situation in the public health system, citing the lack of medicines and saving material at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo as a problem that goes beyond supply issues.

Agan has stressed that this situation reflects deep shortcomings in the organisation and financing of the health system.

The lack of drugs and the extenuating material at QKUK is not only a supply problem, it is a reflection of a deeper structural problem in the organisation and financing of the health system”, he has stated.

He has described the situation as serious and unacceptable to a tesciar-level institution, warning that the lack of essential drugs directly violates patient safety and the dignity of health professionals.

Situate is serious and unacceptable to a terarchial institution. When essential drugs and basic materials are lacking, it directly affects the safety of patients and the dignity of the work of health professionals, said former Minister Agan.

According to Agan, the main reasons are mainly structural, including procuration and planning weaknesses, lack of precise stock management systems, as well as a superior organisational pattern of public bidders.

The Arsyet is not just technical, but as I said the most structurally:- weakness in procurement and planning; ʹ lack of precise stock management systems; But, above all, past organisational model of the main public bidder, said former minister Agan.

He has said the Kosovo Hospital Service and University Clinic functions as a classic budget organisation, with very limited flexibility in resource management.

Speaking of dilemmas whether it's malmanagime or lack of budget, Agan has estimated that the problem is combination of factors, but not just financial.

The “is not just how much money we have, but how institutions that manage this money are organized. Even with a higher budget, this organisational model would produce the same problems”, he said.

Agan has proposed urgent measures, such as the emergency supply of essential drugs and materials, immediate auditing of stock and supply chain, as well as increased transparency.

However, it has underlined that the real solution lies in structural reforms, including the gradual transformation of KSFK into a more autonomous and capable of strategic contracting institution.

Urgent mass: emergency supplies for essential drugs and materials, immediate audit of stock and supply chain, increased transparency. Structural measures (here is the real solution): the gradual transformation of KSFK into a more autonomous and capable of contracting institution. This will ensure: greater financial and managerial flexibility;- clear responsibilities for results;- possibilities for strategic contracting services and supplies, Agan concludes.

Former Health Minister Andmend Zemaj has spoken of the situation of drug shortages and extenuating material at the University Clinical Centre in Kosovo, naming it as disturbing and with direct consequences for patients.

The system of lack of drugs and the rescue material at QKUK is disturbing. Lacks are frequent and affecting basic drugs, affecting the quality of services, increasing the financial burden on patients and risking people's lives”, Zemaj declared.

According to him, the reasons for this situation are not limited to public procurement procedures or the lack of budget, but to deeper factors such as mismanagement.

The key “Arsyet concerns individual interests of people as their combination in the Ministry of Health and QKUK, which are not only related to the inefficient public procurement procedures, budget or planning, but with a deliberate management that favours these groups in their financial interest, supported by the ministry and the government at exit”, he has said.

Zemaj has demanded that concrete steps be taken to clarify the situation before any measure of improvement in the situation.

“required an urgent audit and independent investigation by justice institutions”, he has declared.

The former minister has added that increased transparency, better management of the drug stock, avoidance of payment delays for suppliers, and digitalisation of the system are some of the measures that would affect increased efficiency in the health system.

What would increase efficiency is transparency, good drug stock management, default payment for suppliers, and digitalisation of the system, Zemaj said.

In the end, Zemaj has voiced scepticism for changes in current circumstances, saying something good is difficult with this government.

But with this government and as far as degradation has gone, it is difficult to do something good, Zemaj says.

Former Kosovo Democratic Party President Bekim Haxhiu has criticised the state of the drug supply in the health system, calling it a continuing problem in recent years.

According to him, drug shortages from the Essencial List have become a chronic “chronic health system” over 6 years of current governance.

The state of drug shortages from the Essencial List has turned into a chronic “chronic health system” over 6 years of government governance, Haxhiu said

According to him, despite the increased budget for medicines, supply remains unstable, and some institutions continue to face critical shortages of drugs and medical materials.

Although there has been an increase in the budget for medicines, the supply remains unstable; some institutions face critical shortages in supply with medicine and medical materials, Haxhiu said.

Haxhiu has estimated that this situation is a poor consequence of management, and, as he has named it, “thedermania”, adding that the growth of the budget has brought no improvement in supply, but has increased abuse spaces.

He has also said that lack of transparency and accountability in the drug supply process is directly affecting patients, who are often forced to provide essential drugs themselves.

This is a bad consequence of management and “themenade”. Budget growth has increased drug abuses and has not improved supply. There is a lack of transparency and accountability for failures in the supply of drugs from the Essential List. As a result, patients are forced to provide for them themselves, Haxhiu concludes.