Air ambulances bringing patients back from the Balkans

The Rega air ambulance service is busy bringing back Swiss nationals from Kosovo suffering from severe Covid symptoms.

There were 21 flights from Pristina in August alone according to the Blick newspaper. Rega is not releasing information.

The incoming patients are causing a problem here for an already strained health system. 

There are also regular flights from North Macedonia, Serbia and Italy.

Despite the regular flights – there are still several Swiss patients being treated in the Balkans.

The vast majority of returning patients have not been vaccinated and the vaccination rate in the Balkans is only around 10% - compared to over 50% here. 

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