Nine citizens died of the Covid-19 before they could even get tested, reports the Kod investigative reporting outlet. According to their review of the 91 deaths caused by the coronavirus so far, there were a number of cases where citizens required assistance for serious flu like symptoms but could not receive a test or even treatment at the Infectious Diseases Clinic. Seven people have died without being tested, with the virus being confirmed only post mortem.

Robert Jankovski, a handicapped person from Skopje’s Radisani district, is one of those who died of the illness without being tested, his family told Kod.

We want to help raise awareness among our doctors, the Government ministers, they need to realize that even people with disabilities need to be helped, the man’s sister told Kod.

The family says that Robert did not receive a proper EKG test as emergency response doctors administered it while he was sitting in his wheelchair, and was rejected for a coronavirus test because he could not respond to the questionnaire. Eventually, the disabled man died as he was transported to the coronavirus ward.