Debar, 17 April 2026 (MIA) — Minister of Health Azir Aliu launched a teledermatology pilot project at the Debar General Hospital, aimed at providing patients in rural areas with specialized skin care.

Aliu, who acted as the program's first "patient" during a demonstration earlier Friday, said that Delchevo was also launching a similar pilot project. Both locations were chosen because of their distance from Skopje and a local shortage of dermatologists.

"Dermatological issues are on the rise, yet Debar lacks the expert specialists needed to treat them," Aliu said. "This project addresses the distance between tertiary care in Skopje and secondary care in Debar."

Over the next three months, the Ministry of Health will work to formally accredit the participating facilities. Once the project is completed, Debar General Hospital will become the country’s first accredited telemedicine institution. Medical staff, including doctors and nurses, will receive official certifications for providing remote care.

Starting next week, teledermatology services will be available in Debar every Tuesday. Aliu encouraged residents to schedule appointments if they require skin examinations.

The Debar General Hospital provides health care to residents in the municipalities of Debar and Centar Zhupa as well as the Reka area in the Mavrovo and Rostushe municipality. mr/