HEALTH Minister Roman Kováč has denied any cancer patients are dying because of a shortage of medicines.
In a deepening row over what doctors have said is a life-threatening shortage of cytostatic medicines to treat patients on oncological wards the minister rejected claims that any patient's life was in danger.
However, he has admitted that there is a lack of such medicines in hospitals.
The row broke out last week when doctors made claims in local media that there was a serious shortage of medicines for cancer treatment.
They maintain that distributors are often reluctant to supply cytostatic medicines, among the most expensive medicines for cancer treatment, because they are demanding cash-strapped health insurers pay in advance for the supplies.
