ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Despite the developments in Kosovo's healthcare, there are still many challenges that hamper the delivery of proper health-care service. This was especially highlighted during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. AIM: This study aims to elucidate the factors that impede proper health service as well as reduce preventable medical errors by focusing on safety as a fundamental principle in patient care and a key component health services quality management. The main goal is to improve the overall approach to the patient by improving the workers performance and redesigning systems, with the goal of reducing patient risk not only in normal working environment but also in new and unusual situations such as COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD(S): In this cross-sectional study, data were collected and analyzed. Two questionnaires were compiled for this research: one was compiled to address patients who sought health services at the Emergency Center;the second questionnaire was designed for the Emergency Center personnel to identify the relationships between the workers, managerial staff, the problems of reporting errors, and similar. Moreover, relevant publications on the impact of the pandemic on the provision of health services were compared. Statistical analysis was done by IBM SPSS version 25. CONCLUSION(S): There is a need for improving Patient Safety Culture in The Emergency Center at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. By reorganizing working hours for the workers of the Emergency Center, preventable medical errors would be reduced. Raising the capacities of the primary care level would reduce the load of the Emergency Center from interventions, which can be handled without a problem at the lower levels. Continuous professional trainings, as well as trainings focused on stress management, working under time pressure, and relationships between health service providers would significantly improve the level of patient safety in the Emergency Center.Copyright © 2023, Scientific Foundation SPIROSKI. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous effects on human life and the environment globally. Despite the negative effects of the epidemic on human health, the pandemic has improved the quality of the environment, thus creating an opportunity to restore degraded ecosystems. This study presents the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the water quality and chemical properties of the Lumbardh Stream, which is a very important stream for the city of Prizren, Kosovo. Lumbardh Stream, where industrialization is high in Prizren and industrial wastes are dumped, flows into the White Drin river, which is important for river fishing and agricultural irrigation for both Kosovo and Albania. Therefore, water samples were taken every month in 2020–2021 from the riverbed in the Vlashnje region of Prizren. EC, pH, TDS and Tur were measured in situ in the water samples taken. Major ions, heavy metals, DO, BOD, COD, TSS and TOC amounts were analyzed in the laboratory. The results are evaluated according to “Quality criteria according to the classes of intracontinental surface water resources in terms of general chemical and physicochemical parameters”;It has been determined that the water source has Class I in terms of DO, EC and NO3--N, Class II in terms of COD, Class III in terms of BOD, total P, PO4 3-and NH4+-N. When comparing the pre-lockdown and lockdown period, DO and TOC level increased 1.1 and 1.1 times, BOD, COD and NH4+-N decreased 1.2, 1.9 and 1.5 times at lockdown period, respectively. Comparing lockdown and no-lockdown period, DO and TOC increased 1.16 and 3.68 times, BOD, COD and NH4+-N decreased 1.1, 3.5 and 1.6 times at lockdown period, respectively. The results obtained showed quality water improvement during the lockdown period. This study confirms that significant recovery of degraded aquatic ecosystems is possible by limiting human activities. © 2022, Polskie Towarzystwo Inzynierii Ekologicznej (PTIE). All rights reserved.