Minister of Health Minister Arben Vitita’s political adviser, Durim Elsani, has reacted after LDK MP Armendi Zemaj’s statement, which challenged Government to publish the names of at least 17 of 171 health professionals who, according to Prime Minister Albin Kurti, have returned from the diaspora during 2025.

Elshani, through a Facebook post, has published the data, says that the Council for the License of Foreign Health Professionals and the Oda of Kosovo Doctors have provided the 171 professional figures.

According to him, a total of 171 Albanian health professionals were licensed during 2025, mainly from Kosovo and other Albanian trains.

Of them, 12 are Kosovo-owned health professionals who after completing specialisation in European countries have returned to work in Kosovo.

Meanwhile, the other 159 are Albanian professionals with foreign or two citizenship citizenships, which are equipped with licenses from the Special School Board to practice the profession in Kosovo.

So there are 171 Albanian professionals who have chosen to return and work in Kosovo and have already been equipped with relevant licenses to exercise their profession, Elshani wrote.

In his response, Minister Vitita’s adviser has also stopped in the number of health professionals who have requested documentation needed to apply for work in European countries.

Referring to Oda records of Kosovo Doctors, he has indicated that during 2025, a total of 95 health professionals have requested relevant documents.

According to him, this is the lowest number over the years, compared to 2022, when 211 health professionals had requested such documentation.

Elshani has stressed that obtaining documents for application abroad does not necessarily imply that professionals are equipped with licenses in European states or that they have left Kosovo.

He has even cited cases of professionals who have taken free holidays, worked for a short period abroad, and later returned to Kosovo.

Elshan’s reaction comes after open debate over the 171 number of doctors returned from the diaspora, which Prime Minister Albin Kurti had introduced.

LDK MP Armend Zemaj had demanded that the Government, the Health Ministry and the USKKKUK offer the names of at least 17 specialists who returned from exile during 2025 and have been employed with regular contracts in Kosovo’s public health system.

I challenge every representative of the Government, Health Ministry or USKKU to offer only 17 names of experts, not 171), had declared Zemaj. /Telegraphy/