According to the written statement, immediately after receiving the notification, the Epidemiology Department at the Public Health Center-Shtip began taking action in line with the national protocol for food-borne infections and intoxications. Epidemiologists promptly went to the scene, where they carried out an inspection at the facility operating as a food entity within the legal entity in TIDZ-Shtip.

The Public Health Center-Shtip said that an educational discussion was held with those responsible and with the staff regarding the way food is received, prepared, kept and stored. Appropriate measures and recommendations were also issued. According to the announcement, a general mechanical cleaning was ordered, urgent disinfection, disinsection and deratization of the facility were carried out, and immediate sanitary checks were also conducted for employees. In addition, samples were taken from the suspected food for microbiological analysis, as well as swabs from the kitchen work surfaces.

The statement also said that the Epidemiology Department of the PHI Public Health Center Shtip will closely monitor the situation in the coming days, inform the public and, if new cases emerge, take additional measures in accordance with legal regulations./Telegrafi/

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Klekovski explained that there are two ways to help reduce drug prices. According to him, the first is to include the medicine on the positive list, where a lower price can be secured through negotiations, since this list also provides access to state subsidies. The second is the entry of generic competition, an approach recommended by the World Health Organization.

He said that when only one brand appears on the positive list, the pharmaceutical company has very little reason to lower the price. By contrast, he added, the arrival of competition forces such a reduction, because a generic must enter the market at a lower price.

Speaking about specific examples, Klekovski first mentioned rivaroxaban (“Xarelto”), which cost 2,200 denars and was more expensive than in neighboring countries, which is why many citizens bought it abroad. With its inclusion on the positive list, he said, by the end of the year the price will be cut in half and will be cheaper than in Kosovo. From January 1, the co-payment for this medicine will be only 160 denars.

As a second case, he mentioned “Foster,” the inhalation therapy for asthma and COPD, which until now had been the only original medicine on the market. After its patent protection expired, the generic “Bloceta,” produced in the EU, appeared on the market, and its entry onto the positive list was made at a significantly lower price. As a result, the reference price in this category of medicines fell from 2,715 denars including VAT to 1,915 denars, a drop of 800 denars.

He stressed that this reduction made it possible for “Bloceta” to be offered to patients without an extra charge, while at the same time creating pressure on the manufacturer of the original medicine “Foster” (formoterol/beclometasone) to lower its price as well.

According to Klekovski, after three weeks of communication, the manufacturer of “Foster” informed them yesterday that it accepts selling this medicine in pharmacies in Macedonia at the new reference price of 1,915 denars. This means the medicine will be available without an extra charge and only with a co-payment of 280 denars, or 20 denars less than before. He clarified that the new price will take effect once the current quantities already supplied to pharmacies are sold. “I expect that from August 1, ‘Foster’ will be without an extra charge. ‘Bloceta’ is already available without an extra charge,” Klekovski said.

He added that the around 50 million denars saved from the 800-denar reduction in the reference price of “Foster” will not be used to buy vehicles, but by the end of the year will be used to introduce a newer-generation medicine for patients with asthma and COPD.

In conclusion, Klekovski assessed that price changes in such categories of medicines often meet resistance, because halving the price also means halving the profits of pharmaceutical companies, as well as retail sales margins.

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After the press conference at the Government, where he presented the latest expansion of the positive list with three new anticoagulant medicines — enoxaparin, nadroparin and rivaroxaban, Klekovski responded to journalists’ questions.

He called on citizens to report to the Fund, through the informational email or the information form, any case in which a pharmacy refuses to dispense a prescription medicine.

“Every medicine on the positive list must be dispensed by prescription,” Klekovski further stressed.

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Health Minister Azir Aliu and the national transplant coordinator, Biljana Kuzmanovska, spoke about the new module in the “My Appointment” system, which will allow citizens to express their willingness to donate organs.

Following the legal changes, every adult citizen will be able, during a visit to their primary care doctor, to declare whether or not they wish to be a donor of organs and tissues for treatment after death. This decision will be signed by the individual, certified by the chosen doctor, and then registered in the national electronic system.

“Today, organ donation is a matter of trust, individual will, solidarity, and social maturity,” Minister Aliu said.

According to the Ministry, access to this data will be under strict control and will be granted only to authorized persons. Citizens will also have the right to change their decision at any time, while the last registered declaration will be considered valid.

The new system is expected to become operational on October 1, 2026. Until then, technical, institutional, and communication preparations will continue.

Kuzmanovska stressed that organ donation remains entirely voluntary and that the aim is to place the citizen’s will at the center of the system./Telegrafi/

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The report notes that there is an imbalance between the number of regular and emergency check-ups, a situation that has led to an excessive workload at the Clinic.

The auditors emphasize that such a structure of referrals represents a clear departure from the planned use of the “My Appointment” system and increases the Clinic’s workload, which may affect the efficiency of planning and organizing the work process, the optimal use of available capacities, and patients’ access to healthcare services.

The report also states that the consumption of medicines and medical materials was not recorded in an updated and timely manner in the accounting and material records, while some of them were procured before the contract expired in order to ensure the uninterrupted provision of healthcare activities.

The auditors also found that a hospital pharmacy had not been established within the Clinic, through which inventory management was supposed to be carried out.

The report also underlines improper implementation of the Law on Public Procurement in some of the completed public procurement procedures.

The audit found that some receivables are more than three years old, creating uncertainty about their future collection. It also identified discrepancies between the calculated co-payment and the amount collected for healthcare services provided to health insurance beneficiaries.

To address the identified shortcomings, the SAO submitted eight recommendations to the Clinic for Thoracic and Vascular Surgery.

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He said he will remain Minister of Health until the moment Parliament votes for a new minister, and that until then he will work every minute in service of the country’s healthcare system.

According to Aliu, when he entered politics 10 years ago, his goal was to help, while today, after 10 years and with the political experience he has gained, he is in politics to bring change. As the outgoing minister put it, this concerns changing the way politics is conducted and the way a politician should be transparent and truly function within the system.

Aliu also underlined that each of us has a duty to contribute to the community.

He said he appreciates the fact that there will be continuity in healthcare and added that he is convinced the new minister will continue the policies that have already been put in place. According to him, the reforms built so far have been systematic and for that reason will continue in the future as well.

Answering a journalist’s question, Aliu stressed that he believes digitalization is one of the key elements that should continue in healthcare.

Following the government reshuffle, leadership of the healthcare sector will be taken over by the current director of the Health Insurance Fund, Sasho Klekovski, a member of VMRO-DPMNE.

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This facility is of particular importance in the preventive healthcare system and is used as a center for carrying out school vaccination across the municipality.

A total of 5 million denars from the budget was allocated for this investment, enabling a significant improvement in working conditions and in the stay of patients.

As part of the works, the facility’s courtyard was also arranged, where parking spaces were built for patients’ needs. An additional 1 million denars was invested for this part.

“With this investment, we are ensuring better conditions for the implementation of immunization, a more efficient organization of the work process, and higher-quality service for citizens, especially for children and their families. Investments in primary health care are precisely investments in the health of future generations. Our priority is to create modern, functional, and accessible health institutions in all municipalities, because every citizen deserves quality healthcare service closer to their place of residence,” Minister Aliu said.

The Ministry of Health emphasizes that it remains committed to improving infrastructure conditions in healthcare institutions throughout the country, with the aim of providing citizens with higher-quality, more accessible, and more efficient healthcare.

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The head of Emergency Medical Service in Tetovo, Igor Mlladenovski, said that the highest number of calls is recorded during weekends, when citizens engage in leisure activities, which according to him increases exposure to the heat, motorcycle accidents in the mountains, and the burden on medical teams. “We receive the most calls during weekends, when people go out for leisure activities, which are the biggest cause of movement in the heat, motorcycle accidents in the mountains, and we are extremely busy. The number has increased by approximately 40 to 50 percent. The recommendation is that people should be careful with these temperatures and avoid them, especially those over 60 years old and those who have chronic heart disease, blood pressure issues,” said Igor Mlladenovski, Head of Emergency Medical Service Tetovo.

Citizens are also seeking medical treatment at Tetovo’s emergency department.

Doctor Rezearta Elezi said that those usually seeking help are patients over the age of 40 who have comorbidities, namely those suffering from high blood pressure, asthma and bronchial diseases. According to her, the most common complaints are fatigue, sweating, nausea, headache and general weakness. “We usually have patients over the age of 40 who have comorbidities, meaning they suffer from high blood pressure, asthma, bronchial diseases, and the most frequent complaints are fatigue, sweating, nausea, headache and general weakness. Residents should follow the media where warnings are issued and be careful during the peak heat. Movement should be done from eight in the morning until 10 or 11 at the latest and after five o’clock. They should carry a cap and a small bottle of water with them,” said Rezearta Elezi, Doctor.

In just the past few days, Emergency Medical Service teams have intervened in dozens of heat-related cases, Zhurnal.mk reports.

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Because radiotherapy is offered only in the capital, many patients travel to Skopje from different cities across the country. According to testimony from several patients, the wait for therapy can last up to 12 hours, while queues begin forming in the early morning hours.

“The problem is not the doctors, but the system and the lack of organization. It would be much better if centers were also opened in the eastern and western parts of the country,” one patient said.

The association supporting cancer patients, “EZRA,” also considers the situation in the healthcare system alarming. The association’s executive director, Liridona Beqiri, stressed that the long waits are not linked only to organization, but also demonstrate the system’s failure to provide healthcare services.

On the other hand, the State Audit Office has proposed decentralizing oncology treatment in order to reduce waiting times and ease the burden on patients coming from other cities.

According to the director of the Oncology Clinic, Igor Stojkovski, around 5,500 new cancer cases were recorded in 2025 alone, while the clinic administers approximately 38,000 to 39,000 oncology therapy treatments each year.

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Aliu said it carries special weight for him that the discussion on organ donation is taking place precisely in Gostivar, the city where he was born. According to him, there are issues that are not tied only to politics, but also require humanism, trust, and the moral maturity of society. He described organ donation as one of those topics that raises one of the deepest questions for every society: at the most difficult moment, are we able to create hope for someone else?

The minister emphasized that it is the duty of institutions to build trust and create a system in which the family knows in advance the wishes of their loved one. According to him, organ donation should not be discussed for the first time in hospital corridors, in tragic moments, but should be a topic addressed openly and without prejudice at home, within the family, in schools, universities, as well as among doctors and patients.

In this context, he announced that the Ministry of Health is implementing an ongoing national awareness campaign, considering organ donation a permanent educational process. In addition, work is being done to involve family doctors, schools, universities, patient associations, and religious communities, with the aim of making this topic part of an informed and mature public dialogue.

At the same time, according to him, continuous support is being provided for transplant teams, while a digital and legal framework is also being prepared in which citizens’ wishes will be clearly declared, securely registered, and consistently respected.

Aliu stressed that amendments and additions to the Law on the Removal and Transplantation of Parts of the Human Body for Treatment Purposes are currently in procedure, and that the draft has already been submitted to Parliament under a fast-track procedure. According to him, this shows that the state does not see organ donation only as a moral issue, but also as a public priority.

He said Parliament sent a strong message of unity and consensus on strengthening organ donation, as lawmakers from both the ruling majority and the opposition voted for the need to adopt the law under a fast-track procedure. The minister underlined that when it comes to life, there is no government or opposition, nor political differences that can be more important than the state’s obligation to stand on the side of humanism, dignity, and hope.

According to him, the proposed changes represent an important step toward creating a system in which citizens’ personal wishes will be expressed more clearly, protected more strongly, and respected more consistently. He explained that with these legal changes, every adult citizen will have the opportunity to clearly declare to their family doctor whether they wish to be an organ donor, thus creating a clearer picture of citizens’ views and further strengthening trust and awareness on this issue.

The changes also envisage expanding treatment opportunities by broadening the circle of living donors up to the fourth degree of kinship, with full respect for all ethical, medical, and legal standards.

The minister announced that the declaration will be made through a new digital module in the “My Appointment” system, in a secure manner and with double verification. He said every citizen will have the right to change or withdraw their decision at any time. According to Aliu, this is important for two reasons: first, because each person’s personal freedom and wishes are respected, and second, because the state will finally know how many citizens want to be organ donors.

Aliu added that this will also make it possible to understand where there is more awareness and where there is fear, distrust, or a lack of knowledge about organ donation. In the end, he declared that as soon as the system begins to be implemented, he himself will be the first to register as an organ donor.

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