Besim Slams Government Over Drug Shortages, Calls Healthcare System “Collapsed”

Opening her remarks, Besim said, “Since 1974, this society has built its own institutions. Now to say ‘We can’t, let someone else do it’ is sheer incompetence. If you cannot manage, take your hat and leave.” She accused the government of failing in basic public services, particularly in healthcare, where crises have escalated from administrative issues to life-threatening problems.

“Pharmacies are empty, patients helpless,” Besim declared, summarizing the situation. She highlighted that patients cannot access essential medicines, pharmacy shelves are bare, and cancer patients are left untreated. “Children cannot even find painkillers. Our healthcare system is collapsing,” she said. Besim also pointed out that healthcare workers are demoralized, noting, “Doctors are protesting on social media, patients are stranded in emergency rooms, yet the Health Minister is out campaigning.”

Besim blamed government mismanagement for the breakdown of the drug supply chain. “You failed to conduct tenders on time, destabilized the system with direct purchases, alienated suppliers, and they withdrew from the market. The result: a country without medicine,” she said, adding that even the Court of Auditors had to intervene. “This crisis was foreseeable; it is the consequence of responsible governance,” Besim stressed.

The MP also criticized the public hospital system, highlighting inadequate service capacity. “Which era are we in that outpatient clinics close by noon? Intensive care units have effectively been handed over to private hospitals. This is not proper healthcare management,” she said. Besim concluded with a call to strengthen the public healthcare system: “The health of this country cannot be outsourced.”