The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare a whole range of issues with Kosovo’s health system. One, is a lack of specialized doctors in some areas. 

In fact, official data suggests Kosovo has fewer doctors per capita than any other country in Europe. But in an apparent paradox, hundreds of young doctors in Kosovo remain unemployed, and many have decided it’s time to look for work elsewhere. Experts have warned that this could be brewing up problems for the future.

Against this backdrop, a recent move by the Ministry of Education to urgently increase the number of students admitted to the University of Prishtina’s Faculty of Medicine was met with scathing criticism from the university and civil society groups. They alleged that it not only interfered with the university’s independence but that it also failed to tackle the real issues at hand. 

In order to understand further behind the headlines, in our latest episode of Konteksti, we put the planning for Kosovo’s future doctor needs under the microscope.K

Host: Jack Butcher.
Guests: Bekë Veliu (K2.0 journalist) & Jeta Statovci (Health policy specialist).
Sound mix: Studio 11.
Feature image: Atdhe Mulla / K2.0.
Production: Dibran Sejdiu / K2.0.

This podcast is part of the Human Rightivism project, which is funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), implemented by Community Development Fund through its Human Rightivism Program. The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).