Prime Minister Kurti at the inauguration of the Interventional Cardiology service at the Prizren General Hospital: It will help save lives and reduce the waiting list

Prizren, 14 June, 2024

Today, the newest Interventional Cardiology service was inaugurated at the Prizren General Hospital, an event attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the Deputy Prime Minister, Emilija Rexhepi, the Minister of Health, Arben Vitia, as well as the Ambassador of Luxembourg to Kosovo, Eric Dietz.
The service, which starts today and was described as vital by Prime Minister Kurti, was operationalized thanks to the cooperation of the Government of Luxembourg, which has allocated 2 million euros, and the Ministry of Health, namely ShSKUK, with an investment of about 1 million euros.

“Now the new service will cover the entire region of Prizren, it will help save lives and reduce the waiting list. Initially, the service will treat patients from the waiting list of the Prizren region, while acute cases will be treated immediately”, declared the prime minister, who added that this investment includes all the necessary medical equipment, inventory and professional training for the staff in and outside Kosovo.

In addition to the reduction of patient waiting time, the expectations for the results from this investment are also high quality services with minimal cost for citizens, while it is expected that the service will also have an impact on reducing the mortality rate in the Prizren region.

Prime Minister Kurti estimated that the expansion of this service is necessary not only because of the increase in the number of cases, but also since the success depends a lot on the time of the intervention.
“In 2023, we are aiming for record performance. We have had over 4,100 procedures performed in our Cardiology service, including 2,500 stent placements. Meanwhile, 4 years ago, in 2019, there were 3,300 procedures and over 1,700 stent placements”, he further explained.

The Prime Minister expressed thanks and gratitude for the Government of Luxembourg and the health personnel, while congratulating everyone on today’s inauguration.

Similarly, the Director of the General Hospital of Prizren, Narqize Arenliu Hoxhaj, thanking the Government of Luxembourg and the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, said that today is an event of particular importance because this service offers opportunities to save lives, since the response adequate and fast is important in cardiac emergencies.
On the other hand, emphasizing that health care is a fundamental human right, the Luxembourg Ambassador, Eric Dietz, stated that the Prizren General Hospital is a proof of our joint efforts and cooperation towards our goal of creating modern hospitals and infrastructure.

“Luxembourg has supported the health sector of Kosovo for almost two decades and contributed to fundamental changes in the provision of health care services”, he added, expressing his happiness that today together we are seeing the results achieved as a product of cooperation.

Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:

Dear Ms. Emilija Rexhepi, Deputy Prime Minister in the Government of the Republic of Kosovo,
Dear Mr. Arben Vitia, Minister of Health,
Dear Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament,
Your Excellency, Ambassador Eric Dietz, from Luxembourg here in our Republic and the team that has come from the Government of Luxembourg on the occasion of this very important inauguration,
Dear Mr. Elvir Azizi, director of CUHSK,
Dear Ms. Narqize Arenliu Hoxhaj, Director of the General Hospital in Prizren,
Primarius Daut Mustafa,
Dear attendees,
Doctors, nurses, staff,
Ladies and gentleman,

I am very honored and happy to be among you today to make this important inauguration of the Interventional Cardiology Service here at the General Hospital in Prizren.

In 2023 we have a record performance. We have had over 4,100 procedures performed in our Cardiology service, including 2,500 stent placements. Meanwhile, 4 years ago, in 2019, there were 3,300 procedures and over 1,700 placements of stands. The expansion of this service that we are doing today is necessary not only because of the increase in the number of cases, but also before that, even more than that, since success depends a lot on the time of intervention.

Now the new service will cover the entire region of Prizren, it will help save lives and reduce the waiting list. Initially, the service will treat patients from the waiting list of the Prizren region, while acute cases will be treated immediately. The service will start today in collaboration with cardiologists from the University Clinical Center of Kosovo.

On behalf of all of you, allow me to thank the Government of Luxembourg, which has allocated 2 million euros for the operationalization of the Interventional Cardiology Service, as part of the Project bearing the number KSV/017 – Phase II. And this investment includes all necessary medical equipment, inventory and professional training for staff inside and outside Kosovo. The adaptation of the space is an investment by the Ministry of Health, namely by CUHSK, which amounts to about 1 million euros.
Now, the architectural plan for the construction of the facility was drawn up as early as 2018-2019, the works started in 2020 and now we have their completion and the inauguration of this vital service for the citizens of Prizren and the region here.

CUHSK has provided all necessary consumables and medications, while professional support will also be provided regularly by CUHSK, including the presence and support of interventional cardiology and nursing staff during the procedures.

What we expect to be the results is the reduction of the waiting time for patients in the Prizren region, and the waiting time in these cases is existential, it is vital for the patients. Then, citizens will have access to high-quality services at minimal cost, and the service will reduce the mortality rate in the Prizren region.
Thank you all and congratulations to everyone.