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13 10 2011 Life in Kosovo broadcast an exclusive interview with Pierre Mirel, one of the leading authors of the European Commission’s Progress Report for the Western Balkan countries, as well as a debate on problems in the health sector.
In an interview with Jeta Xharra, Mr. Mirel spoke about the main findings of the Progress Report for Kosovo for 2011.
After the interview, BIRN broadcast a debate on problems with the country’s health sector, with questions including:
What medicines and services does Kosovo need? Why are there private pharmacies within public health institutions? What is happening with the law on health insurance?
To discuss these and related issues, journalist Muhamet Hajrullahu was joined in the studio by the following:
Ferid Agani, Minister of Health;
Aurora Bakalli, an Assembly deputy and a member of the Assembly Committee on Health;
Luan Jaha, from the health department and physician in the University
Clinical Centre of Kosovo (UCCK); and
Blerim Syla, head of the Health Union and a physician at the UCCK.
At the beginning of the debate, Mr. Agani said that “the ministry is not empowered to hire the UCCK’s director or the chair of the health inspectorate. However, we have tried our best to ensure that the legal framework was respected during the appointment processes.”
Ms. Bakalli said that “we expected a lot from this ministry, and the results do not meet [these expectations]. Therefore, I do not agree at all with the minister. Also, the staff are not satisfied with changes that were initiated, but not completed, by the ministry.”
Moreover, Mr. Syla said that “the issue of increased salaries, which was mentioned by Mr. Agani earlier, should not be the main focus of this debate, since there are some other important issues that need the ministry’s attention. There are more than 26 complaints sent regarding the mismanagement of officials that work in the Ministry of Health, and this is an issue to be concerned about.
All the parties that have governed this ministry have failed to make the promised improvements in Kosovo’s health sector.”
Mr. Jaha said that “besides mismanagement, UCCK has many other problems, which should be analysed carefully. The health issue is a national problem; it must be addressed properly by all relevant officials, not just the minister [of health]. Without a concrete implementation of the law on health, especially on health insurance, this system cannot be functional.”
Regarding the law on health insurance, Mr. Agani said that “Kosovo’s model of health insurance will be composed of a combination of the Swiss health insurance model and the British system of health services.”
During the debate, BIRN also broadcast a report by journalist Alban Selimi, who explained the reasons behind delays in the appointment of healthcare managers. Another report, by journalist Edona Musa, looked into the private pharmacies that have been set up in the backyards of public health institutions, was also broadcast.
Click here to watch the debate
At the beginning of 2010 BIRN network published Digging Deeper - A Guide for Investigative Journalists in the Balkans, written in cooperation with Sheila Coronel, Director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and professor of professional practice at Columbia University, New York.
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