Skopje, 17 October 2023 (MIA) - Health Minister Fatmir Mexhiti testified on Tuesday before the Parliament's inquiry committee over the Oncology Clinic scandal, pointing out that any political responsibility must be upheld. According to him, MPs have a duty to identify any systemic flaws that have not been overcome and find a solution. 

He sent a message to investigative authorities. "I believe that the criminal procedure for this very sensitive case will have a swift, fair and just resolution. The culprits must be known by name and surname. That's the only way we will be able to restore patients' trust in the health system and protect professional health care workers against general accusations and humiliation," said the Health Minister.   

Mexhiti pointed out that this was not the first investigation launched at the Oncology Clinic.

"The previous testimonies before the inquiry committee and media reports say that there were investigations into the Oncology Clinic in 2012 as well. A case from 2019 is also taken to court. The police have intervened on two occasions in connection with theft of therapy by a nurse who was dismissed from her job by the management of the clinic during my tenure," Mexhiti said.  

According to him, it is very important not to delay the whole process, and it is important to find out as soon as possible if and "who has played with the patients' lives".   

Mexhiti stressed that as soon as he took the office of Minister of Health, he made commitment to systemic changes to prevent all kinds of abuses and crimes in health care. He noted that before the Oncology Clinic scandal was made public, he had continuous meetings for several months with the new management of the clinic.

"When I took office, I fired the clinic's organizational director," Mexhiti noted. 

He said he knew that there was a quality control system - CATO system at the clinic and as a neurologist he knows how to diagnose severe diseases in patients and how they are referred to the Oncology Clinic.

"Together with the management team at the Oncology Clinic, we talked about the control mechanisms of applying therapy to patients. We exchanged views on how to overcome the challenges the clinic is facing. The changes in management took place at the clinic and enabled each patient to receive the prescribed therapy, according to the indication, dose, type of drug, without any manipulation of the drugs," said Mexhiti. 

He claims that there is currently an expert team at the Oncology Clinic, the so-called oncology concilium, working under updated protocols in handling each single case, where all oncology cases are presented and clinical status and treatment is monitored and recorded through. 

According to Mexhity, there is a control system in place at the Oncology Clinic that allows each patient to receive appropriate therapy.  

"Financial analyses were carried out a few months before the case was made public, regarding the CATO system for applying and control of the therapy given to patients who are treated at the Oncology Clinic, as to whether the CATO system should be put back into operation or a new therapy control system should be provided. With the budget rebalance, we ensured that the CATO system is restored, which will prevent possible abuses in the long-term in the future," Mexhiti stressed.  

He noted that during his term in office, those irresponsible and unprofessional will not be spared and protected, regardless of which political party they belong to.

"Professional healthcare workers and patients are and will remain protected," said Mexhiti.   

Former Health Minister Venko Filipche testified at the session earlier in the day, noting that while he was holding the office of minister, no information had reached him that in 2020 a nurse at the Oncology Clinic stole therapy and was then returned to work.

Filipche noted that during his time in office, medicines were provided for all the patients, which had not been available in the country until then.

"Political responsibility should be sought as to why there were no medicines and drugs before, i.e. why they were available for only a few patients... If there has been any crime during my time in office, it is within other investigative institutions, not the Minister of Health," said Filipche. 

Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski and former Health Minister Bekim Sali have already testified before the committee.

The Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the case following media allegations that the Oncology Clinic staff were withholding life-saving medical care from cancer patients and reselling cancer drugs.