For three weeks now, the municipality of Fushë Kosovë / Kosovo Polje has been left without pediatric service, as the only pediatrician in this municipality has retired.

While the citizens are asking for this service to be returned to the Main Family Medicine Center as soon as possible, in the municipality they say that the competition for pediatrician has already been opened.

Besiana Ajvazi-Avdiu had brought her daughter for a check-up at the pediatrician, but was forced to take this medical service to the family doctor.

She says they are afraid to check the children at the general practitioners, as the possibility of spreading infections is greater.

"I brought the child to the doctor for a check-up, for some time now there is no pediatrician in the health center in Fushë-Kosovë, so we are looking for services at the family doctor, at the moment I need a report on the child's health condition to register the child in kindergarten, and I was told to ask this report to the family doctor… ..So far the pediatrician has been very well separated and should not have mixed with other people down here.

"Of course we are afraid when we bring the children that they get another infection, and of course the appropriate person to control the child is the pediatrician and we wanted to have the pediatrician again," said this mother.

Belkize Krasniqi has expressed great concern about the lack of a pediatrician at the Main Family Medicine Center in Fushë-Kosovë.

"The weather is not, it is very bad that there is no pediatrician in Fushë-Kosovë, there are no pediatricians at the moment, there were before but at the moment there is no… Very bad earlier I noticed that some parents returned with small children because they did not there is a pediatrician.

"It is very bad that there is not in Fushë-Kosovë", she said.

The director of the Main Family Medicine Center, Osman Maxhera said that currently this Center does not have pediatricians after they have retired, but stressed that patients can receive these services at the family doctor.

According to him, pediatric services are services that are not expected to be provided in primary health care.

"Currently there is no pediatrician in QKMF, the pediatrician who was, there were two pediatricians, one retired earlier, and on June 1 his employment contract ended and the other pediatrician retired, we are currently without a pediatrician…. The pediatrician in primary care according to the administrative instruction is not planned, these were employed until retirement, there were other alternatives for municipalities that do not have a maternity hospital or regional hospital to enable the pediatrician and gynecologist to continue working.

Parents can check them with the family doctor, who are competent licensed for that part of the work, if necessary they can be referred to the UCCK.

"Normally, parents are used to going straight to the pediatrician, but now let's see," he said.

Whereas, the spokesman of the municipality of Fushë Kosovë / Kosovo Polje, Ali Topalli said that the competition for pediatricians has already been opened and they expect that this medical service will be provided for the residents of this municipality.

"The municipality is taking all steps and procedures in accordance with the laws.

At the moment we have announced the competition for admission of a pediatrician and we are waiting for the applicants and of course after the completion of this the problem of the workplace will be solved and it will come to a pediatrician who will deal with the cases for the citizens of Kosovo ", stressed Topalli.

Primary Health Care in Fushë Kosovë / Kosovo Polje has been facing a lack of medical and nursing staff for months now./kp/