Thousands demand resignation amidst scandalous allegations of cancer drug theft in North Macedonian hospital.
In Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, an alleged scandal sparked a massive protest as thousands of people gathered outside the government headquarters on Monday.
According to an article published by AP News, in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, a massive protest took place as thousands of people gathered outside the government headquarters on Monday.
The demonstration was fueled by allegations of an alleged scandal, involving a state cancer hospital, where it was claimed that patients had been denied life-saving treatment because hospital staff were stealing expensive drugs to sell on the black market.
The protesters, amidst the alleged scandal, chanting “Murderers,” demanded the immediate resignation of the country’s health minister and the hospital management. Heart-wrenching stories emerged from the crowd, with some individuals revealing that their loved ones had perished after being administered placebos instead of proper chemotherapy due to drug theft within the hospital amidst the alleged scandal.
The government and hospital authorities sought to reassure the public that cancer patients were not in danger, while prosecutors initiated an investigation into the alleged scandal. Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski expressed understanding for the people’s anger but cautioned against blaming the entire state health system amidst the alleged scandal.
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The alleged scandal first came to light several months ago, following media reports. In May, a nurse at the Skopje hospital was arrested for allegedly smuggling cancer drugs out of the facility for illicit sale.
According to an article published by ABC News, on the latest developments about the alleged scandal, Health Minister Fatmir Mexhiti and hospital director Violeta Klisarova stated that patients were safe, and they had revised protocols and restricted staff access to cancer drugs. They pledged cooperation with law enforcement for a thorough investigation, following this alleged scandal.
North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski hoped for appropriate punishment for the guilty parties, emphasizing that the state health system had failed the public amidst the alleged scandal.
The conservative opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, had been demanding the government’s resignation for months, primarily due to a constitutional dispute over the recognition of ethnic minorities in the country, further fueled by the alleged scandal.