Shortage of medicines and surgical sutures, SHSKUK Board demands measures

The Governing Board of the Kosovo Hospital and University Clinical Service (SHSKUK) has demanded concrete measures to improve the supply of medicines and medical materials, following the findings set out in the Internal Audit report.

At its meeting held on 30 September, the Board reviewed the Final Report of the Internal Audit Unit on the “System of management of medicines and medical materials at SHSKUK/UCCK”, for the period 2025–July 2026.

According to the report, shortcomings were identified in the planning, supply, management and monitoring of medicines and medical materials.

Among the issues identified, according to SHSKUK, are “planning without clear financial coverage, mismatches between planning and inputs, initiation of contracts without being based on the real state of stock, as well as shortcomings in the traceability and supervision of the supply process.”

The audit also identified problems that directly affected clinical services.

“The audit also identified shortages that directly affected the provision of clinical services, including marked shortages of surgical sutures and certain medicines, as well as cases where patients were forced to secure the medicines or medical materials themselves,” the announcement states.

For these findings, the Governing Board has demanded that cases where there is suspicion of violation of work duties be forwarded to the competent disciplinary body.

“Referral for disciplinary review does not constitute a prior finding of guilt or individual responsibility,” the SHSKUK announcement states, clarifying that any responsibility will be determined after review of the evidence, documentation and statements of the persons concerned.

The Board has also determined the cases that must be treated with priority. They include “zero-stock cases and delays in initiating supply, prolonged shortages of surgical sutures, the missing documentation related to the request dated 28.04.2025, and deviations in the planning and tracking of medicines for continuous therapy”.

The Director General has been obliged to report to the Board within 15 days on the referred cases, as well as on the measures taken to secure the supply of medicines and medical materials.

Management has also been charged with presenting the plan for implementing the audit’s nine recommendations, with concrete measures to improve planning, stock management, supply, traceability and monitoring.

In conclusion, the Board demanded that the audit findings be accompanied by “concrete institutional actions, deadlines and clear responsibilities”, while announcing that it will monitor the implementation of the decision and the audit recommendations.