Skopje, 14 September 2023 (MIA) - A Fetal Medicine Unit opened on Thursday at the Gynecology and Obstetrics University Clinic in Skopje, a donation from the Republic of Greece and Professor Kypros Nikolaides. 

Health Minister Fatmir Mexhiti attended the event, noting that today marks yet another progress made in modernizing the healthcare system. 

"The new Unit opened as part of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic, equipped with modern devices for fetal diagnosis and treatment, will enable early screening of pregnant women, which also means reducing perinatal mortality and morbidity. As a result of the development of fetal medicine at this clinic, we have a significant drop in the number of stillbirths, and I am certain that this trend will further continue in the future with the help of this Unit," Mxhiti pointed out.

"I would like to thank the Ambassador for the helping hand in improving our healthcare system. In addition, the program will enable professional training through continuous educational events in the field of fetal medicine. Our staff will be trained by top experts through the Fetal Medicine Foundation. The Foundation also provided the necessary equipment for the implementation of the entire program, which includes two ultrasound machines, beds, computers, software and everything necessary to equip the Fetal Medicine Unit," said Mehxiti. 

Head of the Clinic Viktorija Jovanovska said the Clinic is a central maternity hospital, and also the largest and most modern center for diagnosing pathological conditions among pregnant women in the country.

"The opening of this Fetal Medicine Unit marks the opening of the only diagnostic center for the most severe forms of pathology in mothers and fetuses," said Jovanovska.

She added that the results achieved so far in terms of risk prevention, enabling a lower number of deaths in fetuses and mothers, also confirm the leadership position of the Clinic.  

"This is a center where all doctors and obstetricians from our country will be educated. For this purpose, I express my great gratitude to the Greek Government and to Professor Kypros Nikolaides. In addition, I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and the Minister of Health for the selfless support to the Clinic, especially in the past three years of the pandemic," Jovanovska said.

President of North Macedonia's Fetal Medicine Association, Ana Daneva Markova, said she hopes that together with Professor Kypros Nikolaides, with whom they launched this project, they will continue the development and improvement of fetal medicine in the country in the future.

Professor Kypros Nikolaides mentioned the close cooperation between the governments of the two countries, and Greek Ambassador to North Macedonia, Sophia Phillipidou, also expressed satisfaction with Thursday's event.  

Photo: MIA