The document that ended up at the portal “Libertas” reveals that the Health Insurance Fund of Macedonia on October 8, 2014 sent a letter that recommended that patients suffering from scoliosis, kyphosis or kyphoscoliosis not to be referred for treatment abroad because “It’s a disease which is not urgent for surgical treatment”.
“In the final phase of preparation before commencing work, and within public health facilities, the Spinal Center is located whose scope of work will include surgical interventions to those who are insured who need them,” reads the letter.
The letter was sent to the Head of Trauma Clinic, the Clinic for Orthopedic Surgery, Clinic of Anesthesiology, Reanimation and Intensive Care and the Emergency Center.
This notice was sent to the first and the second medical commission who decide on the cases.
One of the most prominent cases of this period was little Tamara Dimovska, who waited for medical treatment abroad. She, however, did not live to wait for the decision as she sadly died on February 9, 2015.
The journalist from “Telma,” Biljana Nikolovska, who revealed the case of little Tamara recently received an award for her investigative text, and confirmed by telephone that this document does exist, but has failed to receive confirmation from the Health Fund whether it is valid.
The Health Fund responded and said, “Regarding your questions concerning a case which is undergoing open proceedings from the Public Prosecution, the Fund can not make a comment. Thank you for your understanding”.
