Hospital work threatened because of drug confiscation

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - Head of the Health Centre in Kosovska Mitrovica Dr Milan Ivanovic said on Tuesday that the surgical and blood transfusion programme of that institution in northern Kosovo was under threat, because the Kosovo customs had confiscated medicines a few days earlier.

He explained that the medicines included 150 bottles of albumin and blood transfusion reagents that are required for some types of blood analysis.

The value of the medicines is around RSD 1 million, and the customs agency said the value was EUR 8,800 and that the fine for that customs offence was EUR 2,800 and confiscation of the medications, he pointed out.
"We need medicines and a humanitarian crisis can very quickly turn into a humanitarian disaster, seeing as the confiscated albumin was to cover a month's supply, which threatens the entire surgical and blood transfusion programmes," he said.

"I was informed by our authorities in Belgrade that it had been agreed in Brussels that the delivery of medicines, medical supplies and medical products in general would be onducted without difficulties, however Pristina obviously does not follow that," Ivanovic underscored.

The problem arose with the establishment of the Kosovo customs services on the administrative line between Kosovo and central Serbia, he stated, adding that the Kosovo institutions and customs agency were clearly trying make it impossible to treat Serbian patients.

Serbian government liaison officer Dejan Pavicevic met with the heads of the Health Centre in Kosovska Mitrovica on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

He said he was in constant communication with international community officials and Pristina, stressing that such incidents should not happen, because...