The Institute of Public Health (IPH) has completed the processing of outstanding requests and there are currently no longer any waiting lists for applications submitted by MALMED, the institution’s director announced.

Director Marija Andonovska recalled that procedures previously took between three and six months, while a number of cases had remained unprocessed. “Previously, people waited between three and six months, and there was a backlog of work, cases… Some were even kept in drawers—I wonder why!?” she wrote.

According to Andonovska, through better organization and staff commitment, the IPH has managed to process all outstanding cases.

“We managed to organize ourselves and everything was processed; there are no longer any waiting lists. As soon as MALMED issues a request that complies with legal regulations, it is processed within the time limit set for it,” Director Andonovska said.

The Institute of Public Health emphasizes that its expertise, dedication and efficiency are geared toward citizens and the protection of public health.

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Sheep and goat pox, which has recently spread across the country, does not pose a risk to human health, the Institute of Public Health announced. The institution believes that, at this stage, the Food and Veterinary Agency has taken sufficient measures to isolate the cases.

Marija Andonovska, director of the Institute of Public Health, said data from the epidemiology department showed that all necessary measures had been implemented. “According to our information and data from the epidemiology department, the Food and Veterinary Agency has, for the time being, taken all necessary measures to isolate the cases of sheep and goat pox that have emerged. Epidemiologists have informed us that there is no risk of the disease being transmitted to humans. No such risk exists, and measures have been taken,” Andonovska said.

According to the Institute, consuming food products derived from these animals also poses no risk, particularly when the food has been properly processed. Nevertheless, during the summer, citizens are advised to be more careful when purchasing, storing and consuming food, especially on days when temperatures are high.

“As for the consumption of food from sick animals, there is no risk of the disease being transmitted to humans, particularly if the product has been processed. However, as an Institute, we recommend exercising caution, especially during these summer days, regarding where food is obtained, as the summer season creates conditions conducive to many diseases. People should check where the food is purchased, the conditions in which it has been kept and how it will be stored after purchase,” said Marija Andonovska, director of the Institute of Public Health.

The Food and Veterinary Agency had previously announced that 10 new outbreaks of pox had been recorded since the beginning of July. Around 1,400 animals have been culled in an effort to halt the spread of the disease. Its presence has been confirmed on 15 sheep farms and two farms where sheep and goats are kept.

As a result of the situation, the movement and transportation of sheep and goats have been prohibited in the affected areas. At the same time, livestock markets for these categories have been closed across the country./Alsat.mk.

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Although the collector gathers and treats wastewater from Ohrid and Struga, the report stresses that some developments built in recent years have not been connected to this system. These include hotels and tourist complexes in the area from Hotel “Desaret” to St. Naum, as well as facilities in the area between Struga and the village of Radozhdë.

According to the IPH, private homes in Saraishte, Kaneo, near the Church of “St. Sophia”, along the entire lakeshore, as well as in the villages of Trpejcë, Ljubanishtë and Radozhdë, largely use septic tanks. Some are emptied by municipal utilities, while in Radozhdë, part of the wastewater ends up directly in the lake, causing immediate pollution.

Another pollution risk is posed by stormwater drainage networks, to which wastewater from apartment buildings and private homes has in some cases also been connected. The report also mentions hotel swimming pools and the City Pool as potential sources of pollution.

Problems have also been identified with the local sewage system in St. Naum. Although the system was built in 2013, it is not fully operational, as wastewater is treated only through grinders, without filters or chlorination before being discharged into the lake.

On the other hand, laboratory tests conducted between May 20 and June 24, 2026, show that the water in most of Lake Ohrid meets the standards established by law. According to physicochemical parameters, the water was classified as Class I, except at the measuring point at Grashnicë beach, where Class III was recorded.

In microbiological analyses, most samples received an “Excellent” rating. Meanwhile, water quality at the beach near Hotel “Royal”, in Labino and in the Studençishtë canal was rated “Good”. The sample taken at the Grashnicë measuring point did not meet the microbiological criteria for either the “Excellent” or “Good” category.

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