Kumanovo, 24 April 2025 (MIA) — The Ministry of Health plans to purchase 100 emergency vehicles for hospitals nationwide, with the plan about to be presented to the government for consideration, Minister of Health Arben Taravari said Thursday and added that the procurement procedure was expected to begin soon.

According to the health minister, the ambulances will be distributed all across the country, and especially to hospitals that need them the most.

"Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health has not purchased any vehicles since 2014. Some hospitals have purchased vehicles on their own or received them as donations from socially responsible companies like Balkan Group," Taravari said, thanking the local company for donating a vehicle to the Kumanovo hospital.

He also spoke about the national shortage of medical workers.

"All hospitals are short on staff, anywhere you go in Macedonia, from Gevgelija to Gostivar, from Ohrid to Kumanovo, from Veles to Shtip, everywhere, to Kichevo... They are short on staff," Taravari said, adding that long overdue employement procedures had recently started.

Specifically, he said, procedures were under way to employ 250 medical interns and to transform nurses' and other health workers' temporary contracts into permanent ones.

He said: "1,800 employments in one year. This has never happened in Macedonia's health care before." mr/