Denisa Canameti, “Shëndet+” newspaper (Kliko këtu për versionin shqip)
Patients at Mother Teresa University Hospital Center (QSUT) are sent home immediately after they leave Reanimation Department, despite their need for further recovery in the hospital. Such behavior not only is against the law but also jeopardizes patients’ lives. Head of Reanimation Service, Ilir Ohri, agrees this is an illegal procedure but he cannot keep patients until they recover, while other hospital departments do not admit them. Asked by “Health+” (Shëndet+) newspaper, heads of different departments said they don’t have enough beds to recover patients from Reanimation, while QSUT states it has drafted a proper regulation without taking responsibilities for patients taken out of hospital while still in need of hospital treatment.
Diagnosed with cancer, from Reanimation to his home
The patient N.V. was recovered at QSUT’ Reanimation Department. After undergoing his first surgery, he will go home, while he will be back for a second intervention. We asked him, if he still needs recovery and should stay at the hospital, but he says doctors advised him to go home. “After I get out of 
Reanimation, I will have to go immediately at home. They (doctors) told me so. I have to continue my cure at home. I don’t know why I can’t stay in the room”, says N.V.
Diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, his daughter tries to influence colleague doctors to help the father find a bed on the pavilion
E.N. is a patient who came from the Emergency Department (ER) after being diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. But immediately after being released by reanimation he will go to the Surgery Department. Being aware of his conditions, his daughter who is also a doctor is trying to use her influence on other doctor to help her father have proper treatment and recover in the hospital. “I don’t have much to say for hospital conditions. We came from the ER; he was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. From here we will go to the Surgery where he will undergo an intervention”, says his daughter.
Head of Reanimation Service, Ilir Ohri: Sending patients from reanimation to their homes is illegal
At the other hand, the head of Reanimation Service, Ilir Ohri says he is aware that sending patients from reanimation to their homes is illegal but he doesn’t have other choice. “A patient coming from the ER with cardiac problems cannot go the Emergency again, but he needs heart surgery, therefore should be transferred to the Surgery Department. But this doesn’t happen. Usually we keep them (patients) longer here at the Reanimation, because they are not admitted in pavilions because other departments say they didn’t bring them (patients) here. Therefore patients stay longer in the Reanimation and then we are obliged to send them home”-says Ohri.
The doctor Ilir Ohri
The doctor admits this procedure hampers their job. “This puts us in difficulties because these patients should be in rooms in other departments. So after coming from ER, they should be recovered at relevant pavilions. This is not a well-adjusted system. What we do with patients, sending them home immediately after dismissing them from Reanimation is not legal” –says doctor Ohri.
According to the doctor, sending patients at home causes them problems because they (patients) need to take proper treatment by the specialists. “It is best for the patient not to go home after being released by intensive care in Reanimation. He needs still to recover in the hospital under cures, after that he can be followed by the family’s doctor”-says Ohri.
Asked if he ever raised the issue at QSUT’ headquarters, Ohri answered that doctors did not skip the institution, but its management has ordered all pavilions to always have free beds for patients coming from Reanimation, and that’s all. “It’s not my job to think if there are beds for patients after leaving Reanimation Service. Every head of department should know the number of patients at Reanimation, who should be sent into hospital rooms after getting out of here”.
The doctor Alketa Koroshi
Alketa Koroshi, head of Nephrology Service at Mother Teresa University Hospital Center (QSUT): We are aware of the order but there is a flow of patients from all country’s regions
Alketa Koroshi, head of Nephrology Service admits there is an order to have free beds for patients coming out Reanimation. “This is true, but we have to take into consideration the patients’ flow we deal here every day. Patients are coming from all country parts. We try to create space but the number is very high. Therefore it is an issue of inability rather than lack of will”.
QSUT: Patients’ transfers are determined by the regulation
On the other side, QSUT’ management continues to skip their responsibilities. Asked by “Health+” (Shëndet+) newspaper, they just showed us the hospital regulation, while nobody takes responsibility that relevant departments fail to apply it leaving patients adrift.
