The opposition party SDSM is demanding the resignation of Health Minister Arben Taravari and the director of the state Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, Dejan Dimitrovski, following the death of a patient who allegedly did not receive timely treatment. The party claims the incident highlights the disastrous state of healthcare in the country.

The death of the patient, 59-year-old Toni Angelovski, has sparked outrage and accusations of negligence. SDSM alleges that the state clinic was unable to perform the necessary emergency intervention due to systemic dysfunctionality.

Belkisa Zekiri, a member of the SDSM Executive Board, stated that the angiography room at Cardiac Surgery had been out of service for a month, and essential stent grafts were unavailable. She questioned how a crucial state hospital could lack basic resources for saving lives.

The family of the deceased patient claimed that the clinic cited a lack of available operating rooms as the reason for the delay. They were allegedly referred to private hospitals, but were informed that quotas were full.

The Clinic for Cardiac Surgery maintains that the patient received immediate care and therapy, stabilizing his condition. However, they stated that after review, the medical team determined that open surgical treatment would offer minimal chances of survival, a conclusion shared with the family. The clinic also confirmed that one of its operating rooms had been out of service for over a month due to equipment installation and space readaptation. The clinic further said two private hospitals, as well as treatment abroad, were recommended.

Minister of Health Arben Taravari has stated that accountability will be enforced if any negligence is found in the case. SDSM further asserts that the healthcare system is plagued by shortages of medicines and therapies, particularly for oncology patients, and that children are dying at the Clinic for Children’s Diseases.