Only in the first six months of this year, 108 doctors, 36 of them specialists, left their jobs in public health institutions to continue practicing their profession abroad.

In order to prevent this worrying phenomenon for Kosovar health, the creation of better working conditions and the approval of the Salary Law are required.

The President of the Chamber of Doctors of Kosovo, Pleurat Sejdiu, considering the departure of doctors from ShSKUK as a big concern, says that Kosovo has failed to compile a proper strategy for human resources.

Sejdiu says that in addition to doctors, specialists are also leaving Kosovo due to the poor conditions for specialist education.

"Now it exceeds the number that we have forecasted for this year, it was for this year 200 to 210 until the end of the year, now only in the first 6 months we have 108 who have only prepared the documents, the certificate for ethical-professional purity, which they need when they leave... We expect that by the end of the year, probably more than 220 new doctors mainly because within them there are somewhere 7-8 specialists, there are more than 36 specialists and others are doctors who are graduate and this is an alarm and does not have a good prognosis...

The three main reasons continue to remain the same as from last year, the working conditions, the quality and the conditions of specialized education lead the way, and the third is the payment... The only solution is serious investment in health, I'm not talking only about equipment, but investment as in human resources, as in the definitive profiling of hospitals, which unfortunately no one is taking seriously... In Kosovo, the compilation of a real strategy for human resources and in general for health is completely failing, and there are no real health policies", he emphasized Sejdiu.

The Minister of Health, Rifat Latifi, considers the flight of doctors from Kosovo as a fundamental problem for Kosovar health.

But, although he says that he is working to create better conditions for health professionals, Latifi emphasizes that he will never be able to stop this phenomenon of brain drain 100%.

"The decision of a doctor or a nurse to stay in Kosovo or to go abroad is very complex, to change all the elements, to build all the centers of excellence and all the programs that our strategy and government have in front of them, we will not be able to stop 100% the departure of doctors from one country to another.

I'm very interested in stopping it altogether, but that's never likely.

I am interested in the well-being of our doctors, nurses, our laboratory technicians, our scientists being at the best possible level, but I am very interested in bringing back here those experts we have abroad... (doctors leaving) this is a fundamental problem of Kosovo's health", emphasized Latifi.

The best solution to prevent the flight of doctors from Kosovo, according to the director of the Clinical University Hospital Service of Kosovo, Valbon Krasniqi, is the adoption of the Salary Law.

"What is most needed is a salary law where health workers will be provided and guaranteed a decent salary in relation to the education they have completed and the work they do in health care for patients, which will be the best way and the best signal to let health workers know that they are needed and should stay in their place to provide health services.

It is the right of each individual, both doctors and nurses, to aim for the best possible for their professions and their families.

But, what we need most at this stage is the approval of the Salary Law where health workers would find their deserved place", he said.

Concerned about the departure of health professionals from the public sector is also expressed by the Association for the Protection of Patients' Rights.

Besim Kodra, from this association, points out to KosovaPress that as a result of the departure of doctors, waiting lists are increasing and the quality of health services is decreasing.

He asks the state to improve the conditions of health workers.

"This undoubtedly causes difficulties because it will increase the waiting lists, on the other hand, citizens who have health needs cannot fulfill them as a result of the lack of staff who should fulfill those needs, this is also undoubtedly it also affects the general health of citizens, why not life expectancy.

The state should think about this and work to increase the quality of health services and the working conditions for those health workers so that they can work here for the mission that they have been trained for and the patients need", emphasized Kodra.

/kp/