The opposition VMRO-DPMNE party demands accountability from the FZO healthcare fund and the Healthcare Ministry for grossly overpaying for the coronavirus tests. As prices in the “free” public sector are more than three times above those paid in the best equipped private hospitals in Skopje, VMRO-DPMNE warns this will greatly reduce the number of tests that are being conducted.

The World Health Organization recommends mass testing of citizens to map out the spread of the virus. But the FZO health fund is paying an obscene sum for the tests, at a time when SDSM party leader Zoran Zaev says that we must cut workers’ salaries to protect the budget. At the same time someone profits from the misfortune of the citizens, VMRO-DPMNE said in a press release.

Private hospitals charge between 1.200 and 1.500 denars for coronavirus testing, while FZO pays nearly 5.000 for the same service, conducted by a publicly owned laboratory.

VMRO-DPMNE reminds the public that Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce and FZO director Den Doncev are involved in a long list of corruption scandals that were coming to the front in the weeks and months before the epidemic.