More than ten tons of hazardous chemical waste had been stored for over a decade in the premises of the Institute of Public Health, without adequate handling and storage protocols. The waste originates mainly from laboratory analyses and includes chemicals in various physical states.

The director of the institute, Marija Andonovska, stated that the institution had no instructions for managing this type of waste, but immediately alerted the competent institutions. "Fortunately, we avoided a disaster," she said, emphasizing that the materials were extremely flammable and volatile.

The hazardous waste has now been safely removed and will be destroyed by incineration abroad, since North Macedonia does not have appropriate facilities for treating this type of material. The removal was carried out in cooperation with specialized companies.

Technologist Trajce Srbinovski warned that numerous public institutions in the country face similar risks and called for an urgent identification of critical hazard points in all state institutions. This case raised the question of a systemic lack of protocols for handling hazardous materials in the public sector.