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This year Kosovo has almost doubled salaries in the health sector, bringing them to comparable levels with the region. A specialist doctor in Kosovo is paid 1200 euros at present, out of 661 euros last year.
Albatrit Matoshi, Advisor to the Minister of Health, said in an interview to Monitor, that wage increases were applied to curb the doctors emigration to Germany. He said that after rising the salaries, the removal of doctors has been curbed and now Kosovo ranks among the top countries in the region for high salaries in the health sector.
Your ministry has doubled the salaries for health workers (doctors, nurses, etc.). Why is it decided to double the salary?
Of course, the first and fairest answer is: Because they deserve it. But of course, it's not that simple. Health professionals in Kosovo have been working for too long in bad conditions and in unsatisfactory salaries. In addition, in recent years there has been a departure of doctors and nurses from Kosovo to European countries, mainly in Germany. In general, the health sector in Kosovo since the war has been neglected, without ever being a priority.
With the arrival at the head of this department, Minister Uran Ismaili launched a series of reforms to open a new page in the health sector. Reforms affecting the citizen, but also health professionals. It is invested in infrastructure, medical equipment, renovation and construction of new clinics on one hand.
In line with these reforms, health professionals have been given a deserved place in society, raising salaries to them as the highest in the region. This increase is also a concrete step that health professionals in Kosovo see their country as a potential contribution and development rather than other countries.
Will the salaries of health workers still increase?
The first step was this. Health professionals in Kosovo already have the highest salaries in the region. Of course, at another moment, with the economic development of the country, based on budget growth, health professionals will have the deserved place.
How does Kosovo stand in relation to the countries of the region in terms of salaries for health workers?
Following the new law on wages, none of the countries in the region pay more to healthcare professionals.
It is reported that doctors are fleeing from Kosovo and are going to Western countries to work. Do you think that the number of those who wont to leave Kosovo after the salary increase will be lowered?
The number has started to decrease, though still unsatisfactory. Of course, this has been one of the reasons for the increase in salaries, since after so many years of education, the salaries that have been received to date in the public sector have been disappointing.
Do you know how many doctors have left Kosovo so far?
In the last decade, perhaps the number could reach 1 thousand, which is a very high number because Kosovo, though a small country, needs more doctors to serve in the public sector. Therefore, the launch of new governance policies, with center-based health, aims to minimize this trend.
What are the health plans for Kosovo this year?
Continuing investments in the modernization of medical equipment and the addition of new services. Through this, we protect citizens from high financial costs at private clinics. Let's just take one example. With the launch of 24-hour care for heart care and stent at the Cardiology Surgery Clinic at UCCK, 10 million euros of the citizens were spared in the first year of this service, which they would spend in private institutions. This is politics. New 24-hour services, removal of waiting lists for medical services, better working conditions for health professionals, so that they can increase their professional skills and restore dignity.
Where will you invest most?
Equipment and infrastructure. Now is the conclusion of the surgical-pediatric hospital. The Ferizaj Hospital is under construction, the Sports Medicine Center, numerous renovations in clinics and general hospitals, strengthening of primary health care in cooperation with municipalities, etc.
Should be built more hospitals and other health centers in Kosovo?
The more facilities where health care is provided, the better for the citizens. They will have the opportunity to get their services even faster. Therefore, it is planned that Prishtina also has a hospital in the city to release the UCCK from the work load, but at the same time the citizens of Pristina have a faster address for their diseases.