Macedonia Health Minister Forms New Cancer Committee Without Albanian Doctors

Macedonia's new health minister, Sasho Klekovski, issued a decision on 21 July 2026 establishing a Professional Commission at the University Hematology Clinic in Skopje to examine cases of patients with malignant diseases. The commission consists of five members and five alternates, totaling ten experts. Prof. Dr. Zllate Stojanovski was appointed chair, with members Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Pivkova Velanovska, Prof. Dr. Sasha Trajkova, Dr. Llazar Çadievski, Prof. Dr. Rubens Jovanoviq and Prof. Dr. Igor Stojkovski, and alternates Prof. Dr. Sonja Genadieva Stavrikj, Dr. Marija Popova Labçevska, Prof. Dr. Simonida Jovanovska and Prof. Dr. Slavica Kunovska. No Albanian doctors were included, prompting criticism over fair representation in a body that will draft diagnostic and treatment recommendations for malignant diseases over a two‑year mandate.

The controversy highlights concerns about ethnic representation in public health institutions and may influence future appointments and policy deliberations within Macedonia's healthcare system.