By decision of the Government of October 24, the "Kozle" children's hospital, i.e. PHI Institute for Lung Diseases in Children "Kozle" grew into PHI University Clinic for Respiratory Diseases in Children "Kozle" - Skopje. The decision enables the expansion of the activity of this health institution through specialist-consultative and hospital health care and health activity at the tertiary level in the field of respiratory diseases in children and cystic fibrosis.

It also includes educational activity, training of health workers and scientific research activity, such as health services that require professional, organizational and technologically complex and multidisciplinary health treatment in the field of respiratory diseases in children and cystic fibrosis, building and implementing professional -medical doctrinal criteria in their field and providing professional -methodological assistance to health institutions from the appropriate branch of medicine.

It is expected that with the decision to change the activity of this health institution, faster and more efficient diagnosis, treatment and treatment of patients will be obtained and the pressure on other institutions will be reduced, thus providing more accessible and better quality health care for patients.

On the occasion of the new status, the hospital was visited by Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, who said in his address that for more than 70 years "Kozle" has been a symbol of professionalism and care for children, and with the expansion of the activity, it is deservedly upgraded and opportunities for further development are opened up. of this institution.

"The skills and experience of the health workers in this clinic, which is recognized as a regional leader in the field of pediatric pulmonology and allergology, over the years and decades have shown what it means with dedication and sacrifice to help sick children, the weak, the smallest, the our dearest, to those who look for hope in the medical staff who are part of this facility. Today, we proudly reward the trust of the citizens in the "Kozle" health facility, which we decided to grow from an Institute into a University Clinic for Respiratory Diseases in Children "Kozle" - Skopje. Well deserved and with luck," said the Prime Minister.

He also shared his personal experience of his son's successful surgery and thanked the doctors working at the hospital.

- I have an extremely high opinion of this clinic because thanks to Dr. Zafirovski's team, my son's life was saved eight or nine years ago. Doctor Todorovic and a number of other doctors are here, it's really an emotional moment for me to be here today. I know how dedicated these doctors were. That's why I wanted to use this solemn act for my personal gratitude to the doctors who work here, Kovacevski pointed out.

The transformation of "Kozle" into a clinic, according to the Minister of Health Fatmir Mejiti, is a big step forward for the institution and recognition for the dedicated work and commitment of the management and all the medical and non-medical staff who, as he said, apply an expert and multidisciplinary approach in the field of respiratory diseases in children and cystic fibrosis.

By growing into a university clinic, the minister emphasized, this institution is being strengthened as a teaching-scientific base within which the top professional staff will transfer their knowledge and experience to younger trainees and students.

"The Kozle University Clinic, which has existed as an institution for 72 years, is the only center in the Balkans that exclusively treats respiratory diseases, i.e. diseases of the respiratory tract in children. "On an annual level, over 35 thousand outpatient examinations and over four thousand hospitalizations of children with respiratory diseases are performed here, and the professional staff includes 55 specialist doctors and subspecialists from over 200 health workers," said Majiti.

Dr. Yetmir Ziberi, medical director of Kozle and a surgeon at the hospital, said that its development into a higher education and educational institution is a historic decision that follows the clearly expressed will of the 219 employees.

-But behind the decision to transform into a university clinic are facts and impressive results - in 2023 alone, over 35 thousand outpatient examinations were performed, over four thousand hospitalized treated children, over 150 bronchoscopies, of which 37 with the removal of foreign bodies from the lungs, Ziberry said.

He announced that with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Health, a larger number of their doctors are being educated at the "Rebro" clinic in Zagreb and that there will be more intensive cooperation next year with other health and scientific institutions.

- In the shortest possible time, we will get closer to the conditions offered by all European clinics in the treatment of children, as our greatest asset, said director Ziberi.