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The law refers to compulsory and voluntary health insurance and a Health Insurance Fund (7),
however compulsory insurance and the Fund is not yet operating, with a Health Insurance Law
pending in Parliament.
The roles of the MOH are defined in the following section.
17.1. The Ministry of Health develops and executes the health care policies through creating the
systemic conditions as follows:
a) Develop policies and implement legislation for a non-discriminatory and
accountable health care system;
b) Coordinate activities in the health sector in order to promote coherent
development of health policies;
c) Set up norms and standards and issue guidelines for the health sector with due
regard to relevant international standards;
d) Supervise adherence to such standards, including where appropriate,
conducting inspections and other services;
e) Monitor the health situation and implement appropriate measures to prevent,
identify and control health care problems;
f) Manage the use and development of the infrastructure related to health care
which falls under the responsibility of the Ministry;
g) Promote community participation and the development of citizens initiatives
and activities related to health;
h) Participate in the development and implementation of public information
campaigns and other promotional schemes to increase public awareness and
compliance with health standards;
i) Encouraging development of health education in order to raise knowledge and
competencies in the health field;
j) Supervise, in coordination with the competent Ministries managing
agriculture, forestry and rural development, services for food quality control
and agricultural inputs in order to protect consumers.
The roles and responsibilities of the Ministry of Health are expanded on in other provisions in
relation to supervision (10; 18); primary health care (65, 67, 68); health information standards;
licensing for facilities (71 et seq); regulating health specialisations (92). The law is not specific
about the role of the MOH in relation to the institutions that it oversees, such as the secondary and
tertiary hopsitals but provides for sublegal acts to cover this (30,31. Some institutions are
specially mentioned in the law including: Kosovo University Clinicl Centre (75); General Health
Council (100); Health Inspectorate (102); Sanitary Inspectorate (100). Public health care can also
be covered by sublegal acts (35).
The Health Law establishes that municipalities are responsible for primary health care, defines the
range of services (28) and method of delivery through family medicine teams (29). An amendment
to the Health Law (03/L 124) provides three municipalities with some autonomy in secondary care
including: licensing facilities, hiring, salaries, training in accordance with guidelines and law. The
MOH provides the procedures for the mid term, strategic and operational plans to these
municipalities and still has power to set licensing and accreditation requirements.
A set of plans are prescribed by the Health Law with requirements for the approval of the Kosovo
Assembly for strategic plans; government approval for mid-term plans and operational plans; and
municipal govenrment approval for primary care operations plans (56). Health care insitutions are
required to prepare annual plans.
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