The lack of a Leukemia Hospital and the poor treatment of this disease in Kosovo, are making many citizens seek services abroad.

Only for the first three months of this year, there are 30 cases that have applied for treatment outside health institutions

In a written response from the Health Insurance Fund, during the last year 116 people applied to seek treatment outside state institutions, where the cost of expenses was about five million euros.

Whereas, only these first three months are 30 cases that have applied for treatment outside health institutions at a cost of over 750 thousand euros.

"In the Health Insurance Fund, within the program for medical treatment outside public health institutions (TMJIShP) during 2021, we have received 116 applications of cases diagnosed with Acute Leukemia and the cost of these cases was 4,755,031.00, while from January 2022 and so far we have received 30 cases and the cost of expenses is 750,924.00 euros.

"People with acute leukemia mostly get health care in Turkey, sometimes in other western countries."

From the data of the Health Insurance Fund, persons under the age of 18 turn out to have been the most affected by acute Leukemia.

Besim Kodra from the Association of Patients' Rights in Kosovo, said that the Ministry of Health should have a study of the cost of patients, to see if the treatment can be done in Kosovo.

"The Ministry of Health should have a study, for example, how much is the cost of treatment of one patient or all patients of the Republic of Kosovo abroad, and is it profitable for that treatment to be done here qoftë If there is no such benefit, then treatment should continue abroad, if any, then an institution should be built to handle these cases.

I see many other services which are less advanced, which can be done in Kosovo and save the budget for treatment abroad, so that these patients get this budget and go to be treated in countries where there is a treatment of dignified for them.

"Because leukemia requires a very professional treatment, it is very expensive and we still have to have an accurate analysis of how this work should be done", he said.

He added that leukemia treatment can not be done well in Kosovo because it is very professional, and also the problem is the essential list of drugs.

"Really, we can not say that the treatment can be good here, it still needs an outside treatment, because it is very professional.

Clinics do not have all the capacity to treat these patients, ie.

"Most patients with leukemia are being treated outside.… The list of essential medicines is always a problem, it is not fulfilled for other diseases, even for those of leukemia", he said.

The information office of the Ministry of Health told KosovaPress that malignant diseases in Kosovo are treated in various clinics, while leukemias in children have been treated at the new pediatric-surgical hospital at UCCK.

“Malignant diseases in Kosovo are treated in different services and clinics, depending on its nature and the interventions that are made, including surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy and other applied interventions.

Leukemias in children are treated in the Hematology oncology ward that has already moved to the new Pediatric-Surgical Hospital at UCCK, where there is the newest infrastructure for integrated treatment of diseases in children.

"Leukemias in adults are treated in Hematology (internal clinic-UCCK) and in other secondary care services", it is said in the response of the Ministry of Health.

Regarding the construction of a Leukemia Hospital, the Ministry of Health said that the Ministry of Health is to support initiatives that improve the health care of patients and that every proposal they receive is analyzed from a professional, financial and compliance with the objectives of the sector. .

"MoH is to support initiatives that improve the health care of patients with malignant diseases, based on scientific evidence.

One of the priorities is to improve the infrastructure and increase the quality and safety of health care, while every proposal that comes, is analyzed from the professional, financial aspect and compliance with the objectives of the sector.