Kosovo Minister Blames Falsified COVID-19 Tests on Wrongly Licensed Labs

Kosovo Health Minister Arben Vitia told BIRN Kosovo's TV show Kallxo Pernime on Wednesday that several labs in the country had obtained their licenses illegally, which had led to cases of falsified COVID-19 test results.

"We are paying a price for the way these laboratories are licensed to do these tests," Vitia said, adding that the Health Ministry's internal audit unit "has found violations … the skipping of procedures  … with the way the licensing of these laboratories has been done … the licencing of a big number (of labs) to do these tests (for COVID-19) without prior criteria".

Vitia said there had been cases of labs obtaining licensed within 2 or 3 days, expressing shock over the clear violation of procedures.

Based on Kosovo police reports, BIRN has calculated that nearly 20 Kosovo citizens have been arrested in the last month alone on suspicion of falsifying COVID-19 tests.

These cases concerned persons who had falsified the results; investigations have not yet expanded to the misuses done within laboratories.

BIRN found out, for example, that a lab in Vushtrri/ Vucitrn was negotiating and altering COVID-19 test dates with clients in accordance with their needs.

A BIRN journalist gave a sample on July 30 but the test result was dated August 3, as the journalist agreed with the lab, claiming she did not have time to take the test on the date she needed to take it.

Health Minister Vitia said the licenses of such labs should be taken away, urging citizens to report such cases. "Within a very short time we will take measures in this direction," Vitia pledged.

Kosovo registered 368 new coronavirus cases and 1,382 recoveries out of 6,882 samples taken, authorities announced on Thursday.

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