Kosovo's health system currently employs only one occupational medicine specialist. Their lack is filled by family medicine doctors. Increasing the number of working doctors is considered an urgent measure, meanwhile, the Ministry of Health expects to add four specialists in this field at the beginning of next year.

The director of the National Center of Occupational Medicine, which is headquartered in Gjakova, Albert Lila considers it necessary to work towards filling this gap in the health system.

He says that of the 400 workers who are employed throughout the country, systematic health visits in 2023 have been performed by only 6 of them, or in percentage terms, 500%.

"Kosovo currently has only one occupational medicine specialist in the health system on a regular basis, most colleagues from occupational medicine are already retired", he stressed. 

Lila says that due to the lack of working doctors, opportunities are also being looked at for the engagement of retired health professionals.

According to him, Kosovo should employ at least 30 doctors in this field in the medium term.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Health, Arsim Berisha, says that through specialized education they have taken measures to improve this situation.

On the other hand, the president of the Chamber of Doctors of Kosovo, Pleurat Sejdiu, considers it necessary to increase the capacities of occupational medicine specialists.

He considers the practice of replacing work medicine with family medicine to be wrong.

The head of the Independent Trade Union of the Private Sector in Kosovo, Jusuf Azemi, considers the lack of working professionals to be a major shortcoming.

According to him, every municipality should have at least two working doctors.

The occupational safety expert, Naim Bajraktari, says that the employment of an occupational physician in any company with a large number of workers should be required by law.

In the period before the war, about 52 working doctors were engaged in Kosovo.

According to the World Health Organization, occupational medicine aims to preserve and promote the health of workers, improve working conditions and environment, and develop work organization and cultures.

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