Alarming situation in the Internal Department of the Clinical Hospital Center Kosovska Mitrovica, there are no medicines or medical supplies

Issues within the operation of the Internal Department of the Clinical Hospital Center Kosovska Mitrovica are approaching a humanitarian catastrophe. There is a lack of medicines and medical supplies, including infusion solutions and pain relievers, even for the most critically ill patients, and the most significant problem at the moment is the shortage of oxygen.

Dr. Bojana Bojkovic, the head of the Internal Department at the Clinical Hospital Center Kosovska Mitrovica, stated that their work had been increasingly challenging over the past few months, and she pointed out that their department, with 83 beds, treated not only patients from Kosovska Mitrovica but also from other cities in Kosovo.

"First and foremost, we have a shortage of infusion solutions, antibiotics, pain relievers, and we urgently need oxygen. In our Internal Department, we treat patients who are in very poor condition, not only from our city but also from the interior of Kosovo and Metohija, and oxygen is crucial for their treatment," Dr. Bojkovic says.

The Internal Medicine Service at the Clinical Hospital Center Kosovska Mitrovica includes a coronary department and a semi-intensive care unit where patients who require infusion solutions, antibiotics, and thrombolytic therapy – therapies used to treat patients with acute myocardial infarction – are treated.

"We take care of such patients in our department, and oxygen is primarily necessary for their treatment," she emphasizes.

According to her, there has always been a large number of patients in that department, but in the last few weeks, the number has decreased, both in terms of patient examinations and the number of hospitalized patients.

"Our department has 83 semi-intensive care beds, including the semi-intensive care and coronary unit and our oncology service," Bojkovic said.

As she points out, from the doctors' perspective, it is very challenging to deal with this situation because, in addition to being limited in providing full assistance to their patients, they also encounter patients' lack of understanding.

However, she says that it is normal for patients not to understand that their treatment is somewhat limited because everyone has the right to treatment, regardless of whether they are being treated in Serbia or Kosovo.

"There is very little understanding, and I hope that our management, along with the director, will allow us and our patients to have a better and more adequate situation as soon as possible. I hope it will be better in the coming period, and they will enable us to work better and survive in this area," Bojkovic said.

She appeals primarily to the international community, EULEX, and the authorities in Pristina to allow them to work, receive treatment, and live.

"I hope they will hear the appeal because this is indeed a humanitarian catastrophe as it represents a denial of the right to life, treatment, and work in this area. Our director and management are making great efforts, and we appeal primarily to the international community, EULEX, and the authorities in Pristina to allow work, treatment, and life in this area," Dr. Bojkovic concluded.