Skopje, 14 November 2025 (MIA) - A Health Ministry commission, set up to look into the claims of cardiologist Sashko Kedev that some hospitals in the country were doing unnecessary heart surgeries and implanting patients with stents to get money from the state, has analysed 19 out of 25 cases, establishing that surgeries or referrals for surgeries were unnecessary in ten.

Health Minister Azir Aliu told a press conference on Friday that the commission decided to forward six cases to the State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate for further inspection.

"We came to these decisions on the grounds of the available medical documents, upon patients' reports filed to the Health Insurance Fund (HIF) or reports from medical institutions filed to the HIF and the Ministry of Health. The results of this preliminary analysis will be shared with the foreign experts that the ministry has invited to take part," said commission chair Zharko Hristovski.

After carrying out further analyses on the treatment of patients in institutions performing these procedures, the commission should come to certain conclusions.

"These conclusions include integration of the private and public health in adopting strategies and information exchange," added Hristovski.

Photo: MIA