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IN TIMES WHERE DOCTORS ARE GOING ABROAD, GERIATRICS HAS 20 EMPLOYEES, SAYS THE DIRECTOR SALIJA LJATIF PETRUSHOVSKA




„We live in a time when medical staff is dropping out. On one hand our Hospital looks like an unattractive facility and we had a period when staff was downsized, but we are struggling, together with the management team, to work with our employees, ”says Dr. Salija Ljatif-Petrusovska. (Photo: G. Lichovski)



The specialized hospital for geriatric and palliative medicine "November 13" in Skopje will for the first time employ a pharmacist to assist patients who, given that they are with more diseases, it will determine what is the best dose and the best medicine, says director Dr. Salija Ljatif-Petrusovska.

Latif-Petrusovska has been the Director of the Hospital since August 2017 and comes from the NGO sector. According to her, nowadays it is not easy to be a director, but still she points out that the pleasure is far greater since it is a very beautiful institution, which is the only one of its kind in the country that offers specialized geriatric and palliative medicine. These are two different activities, but at the same time very easy to fit.

"Geriatric medicine or gerontology is a branch of medicine that has been working with adult patients for over 65 years, while palliative medicine works with patients who are not age-restricted. Unfortunately, life is unpredictable and unpredictable and bad situations can happen, such as diseases, accidents, which can affect many young people. After a period of hospitalization and all medical interventions and where treatment has already ended, the patient is said to need further palliative care, specialized medical care. We as an institution in our country work with this type of patients. In the circle there is the palliative care hospice 'Sue Ryder', and we have the same in Bitola. These are usually those patients who have malignant diseases and other type of systemic diseases in the terminal phase of the disease, ”says Dr. Ljatif-Petrusovska.

The hospital has specialized staff, all of them are specialists, says the director, and they have a few more colleagues who have been sent for specialization from different branches of medicine. Internists, neurologists, psychiatrists, physiotherapists, dermatovenerologists, physiotherapists, laboratories, specialized medical staff, as well as social workers and psychologists are employed. Aco Zanev, who is a visually impaired person, has been working as a physiotherapist for 30 years.

"I am a non-governmental person and we are a state that is alluding to being an inclusive society for all and I think such people should be part of our institution. It is good for everybody, they feel good about contributing to society, and society is happy to have them, ”says the director.

Dr. Ljatif-Petrushovska says she is very pleased that she has managed to cut the number by half when she has 42 employees on a part-time basis, plus to employ another 20 people.

"We are living in a time when medical staff is dropping out. On the one hand, our Hospital looks like an unattractive facility and we had a period when staff was down, but we are struggling to work together with our management team with our employees. Let's listen to them, see what is bothering them, what we can do to satisfy them. Above all, the employee must feel respected in the institution, knowing that his or her contribution is significant and that the management team sees it. We contribute as much as we can financially according to the laws, ”says the director.

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