The "Sue Ryder" hospice in Bitola has introduced a new service - abdominal ultrasound scans for outpatients, available through the "Moj Termin" booking system with prior appointment. The service was launched by Bitola deputy mayor Marina Krstic and deputy health minister Jovica Andanoski.

For the region, this is a real step - not a press conference act. Until now, Bitola residents had to travel to Skopje or to private clinics for a service that European health systems treat as standard. With the new service, patients can get scanned locally, with no transport, no waiting days on end.

"This is another significant step toward improving healthcare and providing modern medical services close to citizens, with no need for extra travel and waiting," Krstic said. More precisely: the service is not a luxury, it is a "catalogue" entry. The real test: will the wait for an appointment be two days, or two months? Patients themselves will answer that over the next few weeks.

"Sue Ryder" in Bitola is continuing to expand its specialist offerings. The strategy is clear - local healthcare in peripheral towns must stop depending entirely on the Clinical Centre in Skopje. For that, patients in Bitola, Prilep, Demir Hisar and Resen are not just beneficiaries - they are also the test group. If the model works in Bitola, other towns might get the same.