Lack of medicines at UCCK – patients "hostage" to procurement procedures
Patients at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo are once again facing a shortage of medicines.
This time with morphine in all clinics, especially in the Oncology clinic, including expensive therapies of up to 1 thousand euros.
But the Central Pharmacy within the framework of SHSKUK has confirmed only one, giving the reasons.
"Efforts to contract the product morphine have failed even after the resumption of the contracting procedures. In the absence of the product Morphine, clinics are using the alternatives we have at our disposal.
With or without alternatives, the editorial team has received evidence of invoices that morphine is being forced to be purchased, as well as complaints about other drugs that are part of chemotherapy.
"For journalists in this sector, the failure of procurement procedures stems from the lack of a supervisory body," said Dardane Mehaj, Head of the Sector for Supply of Medicines and Medical Supplies.
Health journalist, Bujar Vitija, stated that accountability and oversight are very important, something that is unfortunately lacking in SHSKUK and that is directly related to the government of Kosovo because SHSKUK is accountable to the government through the board, the Ministry of Health, and up to the Prime Minister's Office.
"Accountability and oversight are very important things that are unfortunately lacking in the SHSKUK and that are directly related to the government of Kosovo because the SHSKUK is accountable to the government through the board, the Ministry of Health and up to the Prime Minister's Office. One of the main factors that affects these problems is the lack of oversight. Currently, we have the SHSKUK almost without a board. There is a board but it is not functional due to the fact that the chairman is missing," Dukagjini writes.
"The governing board of this institution held its last meeting in June of this year, adding to the fact that it still remains without a selected chairman," he said.
And its re-functioning remains key to the drug supply process, the Patients' Association also says.
"What needs to be urgently undertaken is a much more responsible management of the essential medicines list. This means accurate planning, regular supply and backup mechanisms in case of procurement failures. Patients cannot remain hostage to bureaucratic procedures and administrative failures, because the burden of all this falls on them."
"The fact that the SHSKUK Board has not met since June is an indicator of the lack of institutional oversight within the secondary and tertiary levels of healthcare. Without this oversight, the processes of supplying medicines and consumables in hospitals remain vulnerable to errors, delays and lack of accountability. This is then directly reflected in patients, who face shortages of medicines in hospital institutions. For this reason, oversight by the Board should not be seen as an administrative formality, but as a key mechanism for guaranteeing the regular functioning of the hospital system", said Besim Kodra from the Patients' Association.
While the supply of medicines belongs to SHSKUK, the procedures in that regard are monitored by the Ministry of Health, but this ministry has not responded to the television.
