On Wednesday, Aleksandar Gakjev, whose late wife received treatment at the Oncology Clinic in Skopje, testified in the trial of the institution’s former Director, Nino Vasev, and oncologists Simonida Crvenkova and Dragan Jakimovski.
“At the start, there had been some improvement as a result of the therapy, but she said afterwards she wasn’t feeling anything, like she was not on therapy”, he said in his testimony.
However, Gakjev waived his right to seek monetary compensation and criminal prosecution of Vasev. According to the testimony, Meri Pesevska (who was given a suspended sentence in the trial in September after she’d pled guilty) had been initially his late wife’s doctor, but Vasev offered to help by using an experimental Austrian programme. Gakjev also stated that a lesion had appeared on his late wife’s chest.
When they went to the Clinic for a dressing procedure, the nurse accidentally caught the lesion with her ring and the lesion opened up, while afterwards it would gradually expand, Gakjev also stated. Regarding Vasev’s actions, the witness said he’d always received him and his late wife.
“He never raised his voice, nor did he ask for something. The doctor was approachable and fair to us”, the person stressed.
Vasev’s defence objected, saying it hadn’t been about an experimental programme. Also, it sought that not all witnesses testify.
“They’re telling their emotions related to their loss that all of us equally regret. However, those are not facts on the basis of which a doctor’s guilt is determined. Those are just emotions and their direct observations. Here, today’s witness, too, said the nicest things about Doctor Vasev, but he accidentally uses terms the other side immediately misuses. He uses the term ‘experimental procedure’, whereas in fact it’s about a University Clinic that has studies in the frames of its work and, with consent from patients on certain cases, carries out studies to draw conclusions for the future and for it to treat patients better”, attorney Bobi Spirkovski stressed.
Prosecutor Ana Gogovska Jakimovska stated that the defence was implying misuse by the Prosecutor’s Office even though questions were asked according to the answers of the witness.