Health Crisis in Gostivar Persists: Nearly 200 New Patients in a Single Day
As hospital corridors fill with citizens suffering from stomach ailments, public outrage grows over initial claims that the water was safe.
The health system in Gostivar continues to face immense pressure as a direct consequence of the contaminated drinking water that caused mass poisoning. Over the past 24 hours alone, nearly two hundred citizens were forced to seek medical help due to severe health complications. This figure clearly indicates that the epidemiological situation in the city is still not fully under control and requires maximum engagement from all medical services. Hospital corridors are crowded with worried citizens, and healthcare workers are making superhuman efforts to provide adequate care to everyone in need.
According to detailed information shared by the director of the Gostivar hospital, Emri Bajrami, medical teams examined a total of 198 individuals in the last twenty-four hours. The infectious diseases department is bearing the brunt of the crisis, where 111 patients sought help. Particularly alarming is the data regarding the large number of sick children, with 75 interventions registered in the pediatric ward. At the same time, the emergency center treated 12 people with acute symptoms. Due to a deterioration in health and the need for more specialized treatment, one patient had to be urgently transferred to the Infectious Diseases Clinic in the capital.
The clinical picture for the majority of the infected remains constant since the very beginning of the crisis. Patients primarily manifest severe gastrointestinal disorders, accompanied by strong stomach pains and exhaustion. A smaller percentage of them also exhibit additional symptoms such as fever and elevated body temperature, which further complicates the recovery process.
The true scale of this health disaster is also illustrated by the data presented by the Minister of Health, Sasho Klekovski. He informed that since the outbreak of the infection in mid-July, the health system has recorded a staggering 3,100 patient contacts. This number includes all hospital examinations, emergency medical interventions, as well as telephone consultations. The first wave of patients was registered on July 14, while the first signs of a decrease in the number of patients were noticed five days later, which authorities interpret as an early indicator of a possible calming of the epidemic.
Despite hopes for stabilization, the revolt among the residents of Gostivar is not subsiding, primarily due to obvious institutional failures. Citizens are particularly angry about the fact that barely seventy-two hours before the shocking truth about the presence of feces in the water supply network came to light, the competent Center for Public Health issued an official report claiming that the water was completely safe to drink. This catastrophic oversight has left deep consequences on the citizens' trust in the institutions.
