In the villages of Banje and Suvo Grlo, in the municipality of Srbica (Skenderaj), two outpatient clinics operating within the system of the Republic of Serbia have been closed. The Mayor of Srbica, Sami Lushtaku, confirmed that the decision was made at the local level, with the explanation that these facilities operated outside the legal framework of Kosovo.
➡️ Residents have been left without primary healthcare and are now forced to travel around 20 kilometers to the nearest medical facilities in the northern part of Mitrovica.
➡️ In the meantime, a new sign was placed on the clinic building in the village of Banje, trilingual, featuring the Kosovo emblem and the emblem of the municipality of Srbica. The sign, first in Albanian, then in incorrect Serbian, and finally in English, read “Clinic in Banje.” It has since been removed.
➡️ According to residents, Mayor Sami Lushtaku was present during the installation of the sign, together with workers engaged in its placement.
➡️ Neither local residents nor the medical staff who previously worked in these facilities were informed in advance about these actions.
🔹 Healthcare between the dialogue and the Ahtisaari Plan
The functioning of institutions within the Serbian system, including the healthcare sector, is part of a broader framework addressed in the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as within the solutions envisaged by the Ahtisaari Plan. Through decentralization, the plan provides for expanded competencies for Serb-majority municipalities, including in the field of secondary healthcare, along with a high degree of self-governance in managing their own affairs.
➡️ Despite this, the closure of clinics and the subsequent installation of new signage were carried out without any dialogue or consultation.
➡️This approach reflects a practice of addressing complex institutional issues through unilateral and administrative actions.
➡️ It directly calls into question the credibility of the normalization process and further undermines trust between communities and institutions.
➡️ It is particularly concerning that issues related to fundamental rights, such as access to healthcare, are being addressed without prior political and institutional coordination.
➡️ In this context, the Ahtisaari Plan envisages expanded competences of municipalities with a Serbian majority, including the area of secondary health care, as part of a broader decentralization model aimed at ensuring a high degree of self-governance for Kosovo Serbs, including the possibility of funding from Serbia through transparent mechanisms.
➡️ The unilateral closure of healthcare facilities and the lack of institutional coordination indicate a departure from these principles and further deepen legal and institutional uncertainty.
🔹 Institutional and legal issues
The closure of clinics and subsequent activities at their facilities raise a number of key questions:
➡️ The decision was made at the local level, without clear visibility of the role of central institutions.
➡️ This raises questions about coordination between local authorities and the Ministry of Health.
➡️ The classification of these facilities as “illegal” further highlights the unresolved status of institutions operating within the Serbian system.
➡️ Such an institutional vacuum enables decisions with direct consequences for citizens to be made without a clear legal framework or accountability.
➡️ The installation of new signage without prior communication with the community points to a lack of transparency and participation in decision-making.
➡️ At the same time, no adequate and functional alternative has been provided for the healthcare services previously delivered by these clinics.
🔹 Impact on the community and the security dimension
➡️ Limited access to healthcare services disproportionately affects vulnerable groups – the elderly, chronically ill patients, and persons with disabilities.
➡️ Longer travel to healthcare facilities increases health risks and may have direct consequences for people’s lives.
➡️ The lack of an adequate replacement for the closed services leaves the community without basic healthcare.
➡️ The way these measures were implemented further deepens the sense of insecurity and marginalization within the Serb community.
➡️ When essential public services are altered without consultation or planning, the consequences go beyond the administrative level and become a matter of security and social stability.
🔹 Why does this matter?
➡️ It directly affects the realization of the right to healthcare
➡️ It raises questions about institutional accountability and decision-making procedures
➡️ It deepens mistrust between communities and institutions
➡️ It undermines the process of dialogue and normalization
➡️ It points to a systemic issue of resolving political questions outside institutional frameworks
➡️ Healthcare remains an issue that goes beyond the technical level and requires political and societal alignment
📌 Conclusion
The closure of clinics in Banje and Suvo Grlo, as well as the subsequent installation of new signage without consultation with the local community, indicates a pattern of decision-making that directly affects citizens’ daily lives without a transparent and inclusive process.
Such an approach has concrete consequences – limited access to healthcare services, increased security risks, and further erosion of trust in institutions.
The lack of timely information, absence of alternative solutions, and insufficient institutional coordination point to the need for a more responsible approach in addressing issues of vital importance to communities.
At the same time, the absence of a reaction from international actors further highlights the need for greater focus on issues that directly affect the realization of fundamental rights.
For this reason, it is essential that the issue of the functioning of institutions providing basic services, including healthcare, be brought back into the framework of dialogue, ensuring transparency, institutional coordination, and community participation in decision-making processes.