There are state hospitals that are not fully used, work with low capacities, such as those in Kocani and Kavadarci, where there are no patients, personnel, expertise. To this end, a broad feasibility study on public-private partnerships in the health system will be launched after the elections, primarily at a hospital level, covering all the activities currently provided at the secondary level, which is expected to be finalized in June. The goal is to make an efficient system in which we will get rid of the unnecessary costs of maintaining the facilities.

This was announced Friday by Health Minister Venko Filipce, who said that there is no danger of closing hospitals, health workers to lose their jobs, but on the contrary more and more people will be taken care of in the health sector and there is no possibility or the danger of increasing the cost that citizens pay in the form of a health insurance contribution.

He underlined that this model of public-private partnership will mean that patients will have the opportunity to choose where they will be treated in accordance with their budget. At the primary level, he explained, this system has existed for many years and citizens can choose their own doctor, and their budget is followed by them.

This power is strongly committed to advancing public health. That does not mean that we will invest where there is no effect, nor do we see the results. There is a lot of investment, but it’s obvious that the system is set up so it is not efficient and does not give adequate results according to the level of investment. What we want to achieve with public-private partnership models is to get rid of unnecessary costs. In very few countries, the system is so structured to maintain huge inefficient hospitals that operate. In a way we should dedicate ourselves to purchasing a health service and look for where we invest money to have the best result and outcome for the treatment of patients, said Filipce.

According to him, this means that they will open doors for any kind of partnership, but also for already existing private institutions, which as a model exists in the field of cardiac surgery.

Answering a journalist question on whether hospitals that are not fully used would be closed, he said some wings of some hospitals have already been closed and do not work.

I hope that potential investors will show interest, as there are examples in the world. For example, in Germany, the state does not own buildings, they belong to businessmen, churches and foundations, and the state buys services from them. We want to build such a system. If there is no interest from investors, we will make some different approach, added Filipce.

Prime Minister Zaev said that patients do not need to fear the following government steps that were bold and avant-garde, although there was a big problem with the lack of doctors.

Earlier doctors reacted to the announcements of the Prime Minister. According to the Syndicate of Clinical Closure of State Hospitals on account of private is the beginning of the end of public health. Doctors told them and Zaev and Filipce that there was no need for fear since future plans would not mean losing jobs

What is being announced now is completely against the pre-election promises. The “Plan for Life” states that the citizens of Macedonia will receive quality public health like the European one.