Kicevo still waiting for new hospital after decades and millions spent

The long-promised new hospital in Kicevo still has no fixed start or completion date, leaving the project trapped in what officials describe as an ongoing phase of analysis despite repeated assurances that funding is available.

Residents and medical staff say that, after decades of delays, the promise of a modern regional health centre has become a distant prospect. The plans for a new facility date back to the mid and late 1980s, and authorities acknowledge that millions from the state budget were spent on construction attempts over the years.

Planning, wasted money and an obsolete shell

Engineers and local health managers point out that poor planning, interrupted financing and changing standards in hospital construction left the site stuck at the level of a bare concrete shell. Over time it became clear that the existing structure is outdated and does not meet current technical and medical requirements, meaning parts of earlier investment must be scrapped and the project redesigned.

At the same time, the town faces an accelerating shortage of doctors and nurses. Those who remain in the ageing building report excessive workloads as they try to cover service gaps. Without new specialisations, clear incentives for young doctors and a systemic personnel-retention strategy, officials and locals warn that a renovated building alone will not solve the health-care shortfall.

Successive ministers of health have announced promised funding, loans from international institutions or new tenders. The current Minister of Health Klekovski says the government is committed to delivering the project, but so far no concrete on-site start date or final deadline for commissioning has been defined.

Local leaders are asking for a realistic timetable and a parallel plan to recruit and retain staff so that, when works finally begin, there will be qualified teams to operate the hospital.

Photo: press material from the event