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4 clusters · 14 sources · 20 days · First seen · Last updated

Albania-Macedonia health ministry inspections

Overview

In late July 2026, two serious patient-abuse cases prompted swift responses from the health ministries of Albania and North Macedonia. In Durrës, Albania, a 52-year-old man was abandoned after an ambulance drop-off and later underwent a leg-amputating operation; the Albanian Ministry of Health ordered an administrative investigation to map the decision-making chain and the role of social services.

In Strumica, North Macedonia, a 19-year-old woman who had just delivered by caesarean was left immobile, leading the Macedonian Ministry of Health to launch an extraordinary inspection of the State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate and to pledge professional supervision of hospital procedures.

By 6 August, the Macedonian State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate had completed extraordinary inspections at General Hospital Strumica, Clinical Hospital Štip, and the University Neurology Clinic. A multidisciplinary committee—including neurologists, anesthesiologists, gynecologists, radiologists, neurosurgeons, and a foreign medical expert—was formed to examine all records and issue an opinion.

On 19 August, Health Minister Sasho Klekovski established a professional oversight commission to investigate the paralysis following the second caesarean section. To ensure transparency and institutional trust, the commission includes two foreign experts: an anesthesiologist from Belgrade and a neurologist from Ljubljana. The team, chaired by a gynecologist and including a neurosurgeon from Ohrid and a radiologist from Skopje, is reviewing medical documentation. The State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate reported no initial omissions in the paperwork. A final conclusion is expected by the end of August, pending expert availability and a potential meeting with the patient.

Entities

Ministry of Health of North Macedonia · State Sanitary and Health Inspectorate · Sasho Klekovski · General Hospital Strumica · Štip

Timeline

  1. 23 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    North Macedonia forms commission to investigate paralysis after cesarean section

    Health Minister Sasho Klekovski formed a commission, including experts from Belgrade and Ljubljana, to investigate a case in Stip where a woman was paralyzed after a cesarean section.

  2. about 1 month ago

    [HEALTH] 6 sources
    North Macedonia Health Ministry orders expert review of Strumica birth case

    North Macedonia’s Health Ministry completed emergency inspections of hospitals treating a 19‑year‑old Strumica mother, formed a specialist committee with a foreign expert, and will publish its findings.

  3. about 1 month ago

    [HEALTH] 3 sources
    Macedonia Health Ministry orders extraordinary inspection after 19‑year‑old paralysed post‑caesarean

    Macedonia's Health Ministry has ordered an extraordinary inspection and expert review after a 19‑year‑old woman was left paralysed following a caesarean at Štip hospital.

  4. about 1 month ago

    [HEALTH] 5 sources
    Albania and Macedonia ministries order inspections after patient abuse

    Albanian and Macedonian health ministries ordered inspections after separate cases of alleged patient neglect and mistreatment in Durrës and Strumica hospitals.

Sources

aktuale.mk · alsat.mk · brif.mk · denesen.mk · ernesthuska.blog.sme.sk · koha.mk · libertas.mk · portalb.mk · press24.mk · shendeti.com.al · sitel.com.mk · tocka.com.mk · vizionplus.tv · zhurnal.mk

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history