Health authorities: system working despite patient complaints about hip and knee surgery waits
Patients complain on social media about long waits; health officials say urgent cases are processed immediately and waiting times compare favorably with some European countries.
Patients have been posting on social media that they wait months — and in some cases years — for hip or knee operations, but health officials insist waiting times here are much shorter than in many more developed European countries.
The Ministry of Health says the system is functioning and that all urgent cases are handled immediately.
At the Specialized Hospital of Orthopedics and Traumatology "St. Erasmo" in Ohrid, director Shokaroski acknowledged that waiting lists sometimes lengthen because of a range of subjective factors. He reiterated that urgent patients receive prompt surgical care.
Early contact with doctors urged
Health authorities are asking citizens to see their general practitioners and orthopedists as soon as serious symptoms appear. The stated aim is to treat conditions early, reduce risks to patients and avoid added strain on the health system when cases become urgent.
The exchange between patient complaints online and official reassurances highlights continuing public concern about access to elective orthopedic surgery. Authorities point to comparative waiting-time data in Europe to argue that the national system performs acceptably.
Officials also emphasize that timely medical attention, better scheduling and patient cooperation can help shorten waits — and they call on the public to seek care promptly rather than postponing visits until a condition worsens.
Photo: press material from the event
