Kosovska Mitrovica hospital running out of medicines - director

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA - The director of the Clinical Hospital Centre in the north of Kosovska Mitrovica said on Wednesday the institution was in a catastrophic position as it was slowly running out of critical medicines.

In a statement to Tanjug, Zlatan Elek said the hospital had had no continuous supplies of necessary medicines since the rejection of its last public procurement order in 2021.

"We are slowly running out of everything. Like us, the Kosovska Mitrovica Public Health Institute is unable to obtain vaccines. We are working with stocks from 2021, since which time we have constantly been warning international factors of this problem," said Elek, expressing fear over a possible repeat of the "Banja Luka scenario" from 1992, when 12 newborn babies died in the city due to a lack of medical oxygen.

"We, too, are running out of oxygen. You know that 12 newborn babies died at the time. Also, oxygen is critical for other patients and for complicated operations we perform," Elek said, noting that supplies of medicines for oncological patients were declining, too.