Anger swirls in North Macedonia over alleged theft of cancer drugs

An investigation into the alleged theft of cancer drugs in North Macedonia has triggered public outrage in the Balkan country, sparking protests and promises from officials to act.

Anger has been simmering for weeks since reports in local media alleged that cancer drugs from the country’s leading oncology treatment centre in the capital Skopje had been stolen by organised crime networks and later sold on the black market for years.

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On Friday, authorities raided the Skopje Oncology and Radiology Clinic in the capital where evidence for an ongoing investigation was gathered, according to the state prosecutor’s office.

The raid was followed by a protest by hundreds in front of government buildings on Monday night, where demonstrators shouted “murderers”, “monsters” and “justice for the victims”.

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Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski called the allegations “gruesome” and said that no one would be pardoned or protected during the investigation.

“I welcome the right of the citizens to protest because it is an additional form of pressure on authorities to do a proper probe,” Kovacevski said.

North Macedonia’s ramshackle public health care sector has been riven with myriad problems for decades — including a lack of pharmaceutical drugs, thinly staffed hospitals, and ageing equipment.

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The capital Skopje remains a medical hub for most of the country, with patients also travelling to the city from neighbouring Kosovo for treatment.