Skopje, 4 September 2023 (MIA) – Minister of Health Fatmir Mexhiti at a press conference Monday alongside the acting directors of the state Oncology Clinic, Violeta Klisarovska and Halid Matoshi, said they have insight into what has been happening at the Oncology Clinic, and they have provided the Interior Ministry and prosecution with everything that was requested of them. When asked who is responsible for the crime, the Health Minister said the prosecution should provide the answer.

Mexhiti said that during his term, the situation at the Oncology Clinic has changed, the decision over the medication for the patients isn’t being made by one or two doctors, he said, but instead by the heads of all 12 departments at the Clinic, once a week.

Health Minister Mexhiti and the Clinic’s medical director Klisarovska stressed that in the past six months, the medication for the patients has been safe and secure, and there haven’t been any manipulations.

“I’ve shared what it was like in the past, and what happened is not in my domain,” said the Health Minister.

In terms of the CATO system, the Minister said it hasn’t been abandoned, but analyses are underway to determine if it will be put back into use or if they will use another system for medication.

Mexhiti and Klisarovska assured the patients that there are no longer any issues with the medication, and asked the public to avoid spreading any misinformation that could further disturb the patients.

Klisarovska said the employees at the Oncology Clinic are at the disposal of the relevant authorities in order to ensure that the possible culprits are swiftly identified. She condemned any reckless conduct at the Clinic, and called on the authorities to ensure that the possible culprits face justice as soon as possible.

The Clinic’s medical director asked the public not to generalize the problem. She claimed that all patients have been getting their prescribed medication ever since she was appointed director in November 2022.

Klisarovska said she previously had received reports about the safety of the medication, but was unable to prove them, adding that one nurse was fired in May because she was caught with stolen medication, but not the type of medication that the public is currently talking about. She also confirmed that the former Director of the Clinic, Nino Vasev, came to work today.

Photo: MIA