Tropoja Hospital without doctors/ Citizens denounce: We go to Gjakova for basic services

In the northern Albanian city of Tropoja, there is a severe shortage of specialist doctors, turning Bajram Curri Hospital into an emergency room.

The team of the investigative show "Tak Fak" on News24 was in the city of Bajram Curri, to listen closely to the voices of residents who are forced to travel to Gjakova in Kosovo for medical services that they should normally receive in their city.

"In Gjakova we do everything. Because there are no doctors here. There is only one cardiologist, there are general practitioners, but there are no surgeons, neurologists, or resuscitators," says a citizen, while standing in a cafe near the hospital.

According to citizens, the hospital functions more like an ambulance. For any more complicated cases, patients head to Gjakova, Kukës, or Tirana.

The operating rooms are out of order, and the lack of modern equipment and devices is evident.

"We come here for a serum. Then, if it's something more serious, we head to Kosovo," says a resident.

"The doctors who are there are retired. One came from Lushnja, one from Tirana, but they are old. Where are the young people?",

Citizens say that without the Gjakova hospital, Tropoja “would have died.” Dependence on Kosovo healthcare has become the norm. They say that even for a simple neurological consultation or a specific analysis, there is no local treatment option.

"If it weren't for Gjakova, Tropoja would die," a concerned citizen points out.

Another worrying problem is the overload of family doctors. One doctor in the area covers up to 15 villages, which makes it impossible to provide proper care to everyone.

"She's dedicated, but she can't seem to get it done. She's just a person," says another resident.

Residents also link the situation to the changes from the territorial division, which, according to them, has left Tropoja without basic institutions.

"For a certificate we have to go to Kukës. We no longer have a court, a lawyer, detention... We have lost everything," says a former health worker.

Citizens are demanding immediate intervention from the state to increase the number of specialist doctors in Tropoja, reconstruct and equip the operating room, and invest in modern equipment./ News24