Pink ribbons in Karpoš, while the state audit says breast cancer screening reaches only 0.8 to 5.4 percent of women

Karpoš municipality marked "Pink October" with an educational event on the early detection of breast cancer. Mayor Sotir Lukrovski welcomed those attending, and Dr Katerina Kitanovska, a senior specialist in diagnostic radiology, spoke about regular check-ups and looking after your own health. The event drew a large audience, and there were plenty of questions.

Conversations like these are useful. A woman who knows the signs goes to the doctor sooner. But what happens once she gets there?

At the same time, the Anti-Fascist Front of Women, part of the Levica party, pointed to the findings of the State Audit Office: breast cancer screening covers only 0.8 to 5.4 percent of the target population. There are not even set deadlines for mammography results. The average wait was around 25 days, and a significant number of women waited more than 60.

According to the audit, a third of women waited more than three months for a follow-up exam at a breast clinic, and 61 percent did not do their regular check-ups there at all, most often because they could not get an appointment. After diagnosis, more than half had to pay for a mammogram or ultrasound privately. "If you have money, you wait less. If you don't, you wait and pay with your own health," the AFŽ says.

They are demanding that the drug Phesgo be made available immediately to every patient who needs it. The demand comes from an opposition organisation, but the figures it quotes come from a state audit, not a party estimate.

Pink ribbons are welcome, and education saves lives. But if a woman who came in for her check-up on time then has to wait three months or pay privately, the awareness has been delivered and the responsibility left at the counter. When will October be the month we talk about appointments, and not just ribbons?