The tragic bus crash on the Skopje – Tetovo highway on February 13th which killed 15 people and left 30 more injured revealed serious flaws in the healthcare system. The trauma center in the 8th of September hospital in Skopje, which cared for many of the patients, had serious problems caring for all the patients and may have to close down after the remaining several trauma patients have been treated.

Hospital drector Hristijan Kostov acknowledged that one of the two computer tomographs used by the center broke from overuse and that the hospital doesn’t have the money to repair it. Nurse shortages were also at crisis levels during the hectic early days after the crash.

Kostov said that the hospital is in talks with the Healthcare Fund and is asking for an advance payment so it could replace the broken spare parts for tomograph.

We are down to one computer, and if it also breaks, then the work of the entire hospital is put in jeopardy, said Kostov.