Zorica Zafirovska, an epidemiologist at the Public Health Center in Tetovo, said that the number of people seeking medical assistance following the water contamination in Gostivar had declined over the past 24 hours.

During this period, a total of 111 patients sought treatment.

“The number has declined over the past 24 hours. Another 111 patients sought assistance at the Infectious Diseases Ward in Gostivar, while 26 others came in for medical examinations. Seven new cases were registered at the Emergency Center in Gostivar, while 65 new patients were reported at the Pediatrics Department,” Zafirovska said.

She stressed that the situation was improving compared with the previous day. A gastroenteritis epidemic has been declared in the Municipality of Gostivar, while the epidemiological situation is being monitored continuously.

“Epidemiological investigations are underway, and samples are being taken for analysis, including stool cultures. We are currently awaiting the results of the samples collected,” the epidemiologist said.

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In an interview with “360 Degrees,” the director of the Health Insurance Fund (HIF) said this budget represents approximately 5.8% of GDP and 15% of the state budget. According to him, healthcare funds in North Macedonia are larger than those of Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but remain lower compared with other countries in the region.

“Essentially, the parameters you mentioned correspond to the country’s overall development. So, we are ahead of Albania, Kosovo, and Bosnia in most other parameters, and that is the real situation. Essentially, the share of GDP and public spending, public finances, is where it is at the moment. It is not very far from the European average, that is, from what is desired — for ten percent of GDP to be allocated. However, at this moment, these are the given parameters. My focus as director of the Health Fund, and I assume as minister, is on rationalizing its use. So, I have said many times that in the current spending of these funds you mentioned, there is a great deal of waste,” said Klekovski.

He also spoke about the financial liabilities in the public system, stressing that the shared services of Skopje’s university clinics have a debt of around 35 million euros. According to him, among the clinics, the biggest debtor is the Oncology Clinic.

“Essentially, debts in public healthcare do exist. They are greatest in the shared services, which are not a healthcare institution but a public institution, and we are committed to managing them. This is due to several internal and external, subjective and objective factors. They require not only short-term measures, but also medium-term measures. In 2024, when there were conditions in the budget, we carried out an extraordinary debt relief for public healthcare, and our goal is to achieve regular payments. At the Fund, we are making regular payments to family doctors, pharmacies, and certain groups of suppliers.”

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However, according to what “TV24” reports, some citizens have said that in some pharmacies they were told the medicine is still not being dispensed with a prescription, on the grounds that a notification from the Fund is still being awaited.

The Health Insurance Fund clarified that the medicine has been on the positive list since July 1 and that pharmacies are obliged to stock it and dispense it to insured persons who need it.

“As of July 1, 2026, the medicine enoxaparin (Clexane) has been provided through the Positive Drug List and can be purchased and dispensed at PHI pharmacies that have signed an agreement with the Fund. Under the provisions of the agreement concluded with the Fund, pharmacies are obliged to provide, that is, purchase and dispense medicines for the needs of insured persons, for specific medical diagnoses and within the framework of legal regulations.

In this way, insured persons receive the medicine at pharmacies that have an agreement with the Fund, based on a prescription issued by their chosen doctor, without first buying it and then submitting a reimbursement request,” HIF said.

The inclusion of Clexane on the positive list had been expected to happen last year, but the procedure was postponed due to technical and administrative difficulties.

The most recent expansion of the positive list with new medicines was made in 2024. That list included medications for high blood pressure, heart disease, depression and dementia.

In May this year, the prime minister announced that the list of medicines covered by the Fund would be expanded again, but so far there is still no concrete information on when the next update will take place./Telegrafi/

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