Tetovo Hospital Takes Gostivar Patients Amid Water Crisis

A water‑contamination problem in Gostivar has compromised the town’s drinking water, prompting health officials to send patients requiring surgery and childbirth to the Clinical Hospital in Tetovo. Hospital director Erzan Elezi said the facility operates 24 hours a day for all Gostivar patients, especially in orthopaedics, gynaecology, urology and general surgery. On 3 August three Gostivar patients were admitted to orthopaedics, and the health ministry reported 78 visits that day, down from 84 the previous day. Since the outbreak began on 19 July, 4,762 people have been infected.

The situation in Gostivar is reported to be stabilising, but cases of vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and general malaise continue to appear. Hospital director Emri Bajrami noted 26 patients in infectious disease, 17 in paediatrics and one hospitalised for observation. The Public Health Centre has conducted over 700 surveys and recorded about 1,060 presentations, with no hepatitis A or E cases detected so far. Ongoing monitoring and testing will continue if symptoms emerge.