Kosovo Health Minister Arben Vitia has stated that the failure to pay on-call shifts for healthcare professionals occurred due to the delayed adoption of this year’s budget. However, he said that in the coming months all outstanding payments will be settled retroactively.
He made these remarks at a press conference following the Government of Kosovo meeting, where the draft law on Mandatory Health Insurance was approved.
Another reason why we should avoid unnecessary elections, since when they are necessary of course we are a democratic country. Last year’s budget was not adopted on time due to the political situation, as a result the budget was only approved this year. As you know, for the first two months, January and February, we operated on 1/12 of last year’s budget. In this regard, it is important to clarify to citizens and healthcare professionals why doctors and nurses have not been paid certain allowances and on-call shifts. Not all, but some have not been paid, and we apologize for that. However, there was no legal possibility to process payments differently. If the budget had been approved in October as usual and the new year had started with the new budget, this would not have happened… There will be no outstanding debt left at any time for any healthcare professional for the work and on-call shifts they have performed. Payments for on-call duties and allowances will begin, and all outstanding obligations will be paid retroactively in the coming months, including those from the beginning of this year, even though it was not our fault,” he said.
Regarding the non-payment of the 13th salary for medical residents whose contracts expired in January this year, Minister Vitia said he currently has no information.
“I have no information at the moment, but I believe we will clarify it, possibly through a public statement,” he said.
Asked when health insurance might become operational, Vitia said the government does not make empty promises, but noted that by July this year all healthcare institutions will be equipped with the Health Information System infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for the functioning of the Health Insurance Fund.
“We do not make empty promises, and everything we do is carefully analyzed and assessed before action is taken. Some people think infrastructure investments are just minor fixes, but they are important. In 2025 we have started the work, and I am very pleased that by July the entire infrastructure related to the Health Information System (HIS) will be implemented in every healthcare institution in Kosovo, which is a prerequisite for the functioning of the HIS and subsequently for the Health Insurance Fund,” he said.
