As of 2012, over 1,100 doctors and medical personnel from 44 public healthcare institutions in Macedonia got additional education at renowned medical centers in the United States, Europe and Australia, where they acquired new skills and they are already applying state-of-the-art methods and techniques to treat patients in the country. 1,000 doctors and medical personnel will be sent this year for further education at some of the world’s leading hospitals.

The trainings of medical staff abroad are taking place as part of one of the most important projects of the Ministry of Health aiming at boosting the quality of public healthcare institutions in the country.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Health Minister Nikola Todorov said MKD 90 million had been invested so far for an advanced education of Macedonian medical staff.

“After completing their education, the Macedonian doctors are passing on their acquired knowledge and experience in the institution where they are employed, thus contributing to improving the quality of health services significantly. The educations allow doctors to establish many professional contacts, create friendships with their foreign peers and consult on various aspects of their profession,” Todorov.

Thus far, Macedonian doctors for further professional improvement have been sent to the Nuremberg clinical center, Acibadem medical center in Istanbul, the Institute of Oncology in Ljubljana, the University Medical Center of Hamburg-Eppendorf, the Ann Arbour Hospital and the Henry Ford Hospital in the US, St. George Hospital in Sydney, Agostino Gemelli polyclinic in Rome, etc, to be trained to perform methods such as the breast core biopsy, laparoscopic hysterectomy, coronarographies, fish-method and new protocols for the interpretation of pathology reports, shoulder and knee arthroscopies, etc.