Skopje, 23 August 2021 (MIA) – Minister of Health Venko Filipche told a press conference on Monday that approximately 700 patients are hospitalized nationwide due to coronavirus-related complications. “Most of them are in the hospitals in Tetovo – 110, followed by Gostivar – 90, Struga – 35 or 36 and Kichevo – 40. We’re talking daily to hospital directors in case patients have to be transferred to Skopje. The Rehabilitation Hospital, which is fully equipped and supplied with oxygen, opened in Skopje. Some 25 patients were hospitalized there over the weekend out of 110 beds available,” Filipche told reporters. The Minister noted that patients from Kichevo and Struga can be transferred to the hospitals in Prilep and Bitola, while those from Gostivar and Tetovo to Skopje. “We held this morning a coordinative meeting with the heads of all clinics in order to get ready and secure additional capacities at internal clinics. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, but we have to be prepared. A list of doctors and nurses who will be allocated to other COVID centers if they open has also been drafted,” Filipche underlined. According to him, the health system will survive the new COVID-19 wave. “We’re ready to further reorganize and have the experience for it. Currently, we’re monitoring the situation in in Tetovo and Gostivar, which are specific cases as the number of patients requiring hospitalization rapidly increased there. At the same time, the vaccination rate there is lower. Now that it has started to rise, we’ll see whether pressure will ease. It’s too early to tell, but talks with hospital heads have produced certain indications,” Filipche noted. Analysis are being conducted, he added, to try and predict how the wave will develop.