70 MPs in the 120-seat Parliament adopted Monday additional amendments to the Law on Medicines and Medical Devices in a fast-tracked procedure, which paves the way for the import of COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
Although endorsing the legislation, the opposition MPs criticized the delayed rollout of vaccines in the country.
The amendments stipulate that for the COVID-19 vaccine to be rolled out, in addition to the legal entities already foreseen, a request could be also sent by a drug producer whose seat is registered abroad, a legal representative of a foreign manufacturer based outside North Macedonia, a branch of a foreign manufacturer based abroad and a company regional office also based abroad.
Criticizing the government, the opposition MPs said that it should have filed these amendments some time ago so as to enable vaccines to be already rolled out in the country.
“People in the region are being vaccinated, starting with the citizens in Serbia, which is second in Europe with 430,000 people already vaccinated,” they said accusing Health Minister Venko Filipche and PM Zoran Zaev for the development.
