The ophthalmology department at the General Hospital in Veles began performing cataract operations on 28 July. In under two months 30 patients have been successfully operated on, using the phaco method with intraocular lens implants. A service that until now meant a trip to another medical institution for people in Veles and the surrounding area is now available in their own town.

The route to surgery is standard: a GP, a referral to an ophthalmologist through the "My Appointment" system, an examination, a date. That is confirmed by the hospital's spokesperson, Dr Ana Marija Dzhundzheva. No special procedures, no new counters - simply one more item on the list of what the local hospital can offer.

This is what every health minister calls "decentralising healthcare" while reading out a strategy. In Veles it is not a strategy but thirty people who will see better without having to build their whole day around transport. That is also the only measure that counts. The question for the Health Ministry is simple: in which other regional hospitals could this be done tomorrow - and what exactly is stopping them?