About 150 thousand patients have undergone examinations at the Radiology Clinic of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo (QKUK), until November 2023. Over 10 thousand people have undergone Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), while over 18 thousand Computed Tomography have been performed (CT). Meanwhile, this clinic receives about 50 requests a day for MRI.
The director of the Radiology Clinic, Shkëndije Nuza, in an interview for KosovaPress, said that among the biggest requests for examinations are magnetic resonance, while adding that to do a CT, the maximum wait is five to seven days.
"The Radiology Clinic has a wide range of services it offers, ranging from X-rays to biopsies and other additional examinations. According to statistics in 2022, we had around 151 thousand 536 patients... So far we have 141 thousand 898 patients, while the greatest requests for examinations are for magnetic resonance imaging...
In 2022, a total of 9 patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging, while in just 683 months of 11, we had 2023 patients... As for CT examinations, in 10, we had a total of 349, while in just nine months (2022), we had almost 23 examinations... As for CT, I think there is no waiting list, if a patient will wait 751-2023 days maximum, I do not call it a waiting list, because even though all of Kosovo has large cities that are equipped with CT machines, it would still have to be performed on patients from all municipalities... As for magnetic resonance imaging, the wait is a little longer... every day we have somewhere around 18-5 requests for magnetic resonance imaging", said Nuza.
Meanwhile, regarding biopsy, Nuza said that in the first nine months of 2023, about 900 examinations were performed. She added that the Radiology Clinic has three magnetic resonance scanners, adding that one of them has been working for over 15 years, for which she hopes it will be replaced with a new device.
The Director of Radiology also emphasized the need to increase the staff in this clinic.
"Regarding biopsies for the first nine months of this year and the first 12 months of 2002. A total of 1288 were performed in 2022, while about 900 were performed in the first nine months alone... The Radiology Clinic has three magnetic resonance imaging machines, one of which has been operating for 15 years and in agreement with the directorate, I have foreseen that it will need to be replaced, we have their support and we hope for the realization of the promises...
We are continuously training the staff for the establishment of tertiary services, in increasing the number of staff, there should be as many staff as possible if we deal with more specific diagnostics such as the Stroke Center", stressed Nuza.
Meanwhile, for the year 2024, Nuza said that they expect the Stroke Center to start functioning, as well as to increase the tertiary level services belonging to the Radiology Clinic.
The Stroke Center is a health facility that provides specialized care and treatment for patients who have suffered a stroke, known as a stroke.
"The building is a little older than older hospitals, while the Neurology Clinic and the Pediatrics Clinic have the best conditions, because they are new buildings... As for the Radiology Clinic, in 2024, in addition to the services it already offers, we would like to see the Stroke Center start, be a center with a much larger number of doctors who will deal with Stroke and cover the entire service... Let's increase the tertiary level services, which also belong to the Radiology Clinic", emphasized Nuza.
Otherwise, the first X-ray machines in Kosovo arrived after the Second World War. Tuberculosis of the lungs is considered a big problem in Kosovo, where after the Second World War, the first X-ray devices of that time began to reach.
Meanwhile, the first Albanian radiologists arrived in Kosovo after 1967, such as Eshref Bicaku in Prizren, while the first radiotherapist in Kosovo was Xhavit Bicaj.
Whereas, the first X-ray technicians trained in Zagreb came to Kosovo after 1954, and the first three generations of X-ray technicians were trained in the high school of medicine in Pristina, in the years 1982-1984.
The first specialist exam for a radiologist in Kosovo was given in 1987.
The Radiology Service is raised to the level of the Radiology Clinic in 2013 with the new Statute of KKUK.
