Macedonia Health Minister Azir Aliu says private specialists skip state duties over low pay

Health Minister Azir Aliu told a television interview that a number of private specialist doctors are opting to work in private clinics instead of completing mandatory on‑call shifts in public hospitals. He said the doctors receive only about 24,000 denars per month from the state, payments are often delayed for months because of administrative procedures, and the low, irregular income makes it hard for them to fulfil required training rotations.

Aliu added that the shortage of specialists, together with bureaucratic obstacles, is hindering major health‑care projects. He promised to remove administrative barriers, ensure timely payment information for all private specialists, and enforce that specialization follows a defined curriculum and signed contracts.