GPRS devices have been procured and installed in 40 vehicles in total in Skopje and Bitola Health Homes’ Emergency Health Services (EHS), using Grant Institution funds in Component 3 of the Health Sector Management Project. The Certificate of Acceptance has been signed on May 13, 2010 as a confirmation of the completion of set of activities aiming to put in function GPRS systems in Skopje and Bitola EHS.
The Ministry of Health procured GPRS systems from INA Energo System, Skopje, which performed parametric synchronization of SIM cards for all vehicles and installed and configured computers in Skopje and Bitola EHS dispatcher centers. ADSL lines were also installed; the system in the server in Skopje covering both EHS was configured and the dispatchers were trained to work with the software installed in dispatcher centers in both cities. Free of charge maintenance over one year period is being agreed for both services, starting from the GPRS installation dates.



GPRS system as a global (Web/GPRS/GPS oriented) system for online monitoring of vehicles in the environment, enables immediate monitoring and visibility of EHS vehicles by dispatchers and management staff allowing visual insight in their movements on the map displayed on two computers. The immediate view of vehicles is optimizing (decreasing) time of response by the EHS teams, thus rationalizing effectiveness of the intervention. The use of GPRS systems will improve coordination of EHS services in Skopje and Bitola and stregthen control on EHS teams’ work, with optimal use of their capacities to timely respond to the urgent needs of the population.
GPRS devices and SIM cards are installed in 30 vehicles in Skopje Health Home Emergency Health Service (22 in the EHS and 8 in home visiting service’ vehicles). Skopje EHS is taking care for and transporting urgent patients in the city of Skopje and surrounding villages, including part of the subway towards Veles and the border crossing Blace. Аs per determined needs, service is also providing medical supervision and transport of patients on the terithory of Republic of Macedonia and abroad.
GPRS devices and SIM cards are installed in 10 vehicles of Bitola Health Home Emergency Health Service (7 in the EHS and 3 in home visiting service’ vehicles). Bitola EHS is taking care for and transporting urgent patients in the city of Bitola and surrounding villages
including newly eastablished municipalitites Novaci and Mogila and the border crossing Medgitlija.
The online GPRS system has a capacity to be upgraded in future with additional GPRS subsystems and to provide online monitoring of vehicles for Emergency Health Services nationwide.