Skopje, 27 January 2025 (MIA) - The problem with the shortage of medication at the Oncology Clinic will be resolved during the week and won’t repeat in the future, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski told 360 Stepeni in an interview on Monday evening.

Asked why the Government is constantly talking about issues from the past instead of taking action, Mickoski said they first had to identify the problem before they could resolve it.

“The easiest thing to do would have been to continue with the principle 'like before', i.e., to foster and nurture a favorite pharmacy of the previous Government, as the previous Government did, to receive medication that we will pay for three to four times more, without the appropriate tender procedure. Or we could instead implement a legal tender procedure as part of which the suppliers of these medications will provide them for the patients, and this is what we are doing,” Mickoski said.

Mickoski stressed the laws and procedures must be respected and everyone with health insurance must receive the appropriate medical care.

“While we were in the opposition we often spoke about the case in the Oncology Clinic and everything that has been happening there, how the medications were applied, whether the medication was treated the way it should have been treated. There was an inquiry committee in Parliament, and MP Rashela Mizrahi came out with a report. According to some of my information, some of these allegations are already being assessed by the Prosecutor’s Office. Let’s see what the result will be,” Mickoski said.

The Oncology Clinic said last week it had run out of biologics due to the recent rise in cancer cases nationwide and the complicated procurement procedures.

Photo: Government