Complicated operations on children are being performed at KKUK

In the Children's Surgical Clinic, in the University Clinical Center, despite the great lack of working conditions, the lack of consumables and drugs, many children's surgeries are performed there.

However, there are some more specific operations that cannot be performed by Kosovar children's surgeons.

Nexhmi Hyseni, director of the Children's Surgery Clinic, told Radio Free Europe that they have close cooperation with professionals in the field of children's surgery from all over the world.

Recently, 12 different operations have been performed by Australian surgeon Paddy Dewan.

"There are 45 patients who have been checked, while 12 cases of surgery have been selected and 3 are waiting to be performed. They were complicated cases and lasted for hours. Cooperation is very fruitful because it has many dimensions. The budget of the ministry and the education of our staff are saved. We also have benefits that families receive".

"There are many types of operations that are not performed here, by our professionals and professors who come here with world experience, and our staff will benefit professionally by performing such operations," Hyseni told Radio Free Europe.

The Minister of Health, Imet Rrahmani has announced that collaborations with foreign health professionals are very welcome in several aspects.

"Complicated operations are being performed that our professionals cannot perform. With this, families and children are benefiting in the first place, but also health professionals themselves receiving such experiences. These children have sought help throughout the region and have not been able to find a cure."

The family members of the operated children also speak about this issue.

Syleme Shabani, Besarta's mother, is one of the families that benefited from the surgery performed at KKUK, free of charge, by the doctors of the Surgery Clinic in collaboration with foreign health professionals.

"He had a bowel problem. He was operated on 11 years ago, but was not successful. He was operated on again by a doctor who came from a foreign country together with our doctors. Now it's good. I did not have the opportunity to operate abroad, I did not even ask how much the operation costs. They saved him", said Shabani for Radio Free Europe.

However, the director of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Curr Gjocaj, has said that the conditions prevailing in this institution leave much to be desired, despite the fact that the work there is being carried out.

"We are aware that we lack a lot of equipment. An estimate we have made, for each clinic, the capital investments are about 40 million euros. So we have great needs to be competitive with high quality. The work in our clinics is being carried out, although in minimal conditions, but we know that there is room for investments in the health system", said Gjocaj.

However, this year the budget for drugs from the University Clinical Center of Kosovo has been transferred to the Ministry of Health.

Director Curr Gjocaj said that from the beginning of the planning for the purchase of drugs, about 5 million euros were missing, therefore the lack of drugs is evident.