Patients wait at least three hours for a check-up at the UCCK specialist outpatient clinic.

Patients are facing long queues and hours-long waits at the specialist ambulances of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Although they are forced to go early in the morning to have a medical visit, the service starts several hours late. The UCCK has justified the delays with other commitments of the medical staff

Patients waited at least three hours on Monday to undergo a specialist examination at the outpatient clinic of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Patients, who arrived in the early hours of the morning to take their turn, complain that the examinations with the orthopedic specialist, instead of 8 am, only started at 11 am. 

"Come at 5:30 to take the order, to take the numbers, even if you come by 11-12, no one will take your hand, at 12 they say we have a break until 1. He came to get better, we are getting sick," said one of the patients. 

And another patient who had been standing in the hallway for several hours was praying that her wait would not be wasted. 

"We've been here since dawn, since 8 o'clock. The next one came, sit there... We're waiting for you in numbers, the evening is starting, God willing," she said.  

In a response to KOHA, UCCK justified the delay in providing services by saying that the staff was present, but from 08:00 to 10:30 they were engaged in ultrasound examinations for other patients. 

"Regarding the orthopedics ambulance, it operates without an appointment and patients are treated in the order of presentation and daily capacities. Some visits may be postponed for doctors who start later than 10:30," reads part of the UCCK response. 

And patients say they face not only waiting and delays, but also unprofessional treatment. 
Shehrije Gerbeshi, who had come with her husband with an emergency referral from her family doctor for a check-up with a neurologist, says that they were ignored by the doctor and nurse.

"They referred us to a neurologist and an orthopedist. When we went to the neurologist, he said no, you can't do it here because there's no appointment. They don't take into account what someone wrote in advance as urgent, but only with an appointment. I talked to them, I told them that I'm his wife. They just looked at me ignorantly, slammed the door and didn't engage us in conversation. At least I'm away by myself, my husband tried to come in, of course he came in, he told that doctor, but in no way did they take my husband into account, only with an appointment. This is a misery for patients. My friend is very sick, he can't even eat, drink, or walk, and look what they told us today," declared Gërbeshi. 

According to patients, there was a wait at the cardiologist's service, as well as during payment.

"I have to wait in line, I've been waiting since dawn. I have to wait in line for the pay slips. I don't have one, I can't go with you, I need a chaperone to bring it to me."

The UCCK has told KOHA that emergency cases are not treated in specialist ambulances, as their treatment may cause interruptions in staff work and delays for other patients.
KOHA has previously reported on delays in the treatment of cases, as well as the need for patients to seek some services in the private sector, rather than at specialist clinics.