Doctor begins hunger strike over alleged discrimination at Skopje Medical Faculty

Dr. Darco Vasilevski, a physician and private specialist, has launched a hunger strike in front of the Deanery of the Faculty of Medicine in Skopje. The protest follows Vasilevski's allegations of repeated discrimination during public employment competitions. He claims that age-related bias has hindered his career, alleging that committee members previously made comments regarding his age during the selection processes in 2022, 2023, and 2026.

The Faculty of Medicine has issued a statement defending its recruitment procedures, asserting that the process for hiring doctors was objective, transparent, and conducted in accordance with higher education and public sector laws. The Faculty maintains that the selected candidates were ranked significantly higher than Vasilevski based on their formal education and interview results, and denies that he was placed at any disadvantage during any stage of the selection process.