Skopje, 5 June 2025 (MIA) -- Speaking at a panel discussion titled "Kochani Is Our Priority," Health Insurance Fund director Sasho Klekovski said that "Macedonia, I responsibly claim, has the capacity to organize the further treatment and rehabilitation of the Kochani tragedy patients."

He said none of the burn patients currently required medical care out of the country.

Commenting on patients' complaints about their treatment, Klekovski said the public had heard more "negative examples than positive ones," which he said there were more of.

The health authorities' plan, he said, was to transfer burn patients to their local hospitals with the exception of those who needed their bandages changed often. Those burn patients would remain where thery were, he said, and the ones requiring physical therapy would be treated in Kochani.

Klekovski said the Kochani hospital had enough medical personnel and resources to provide medical care to the patients. He said the hospital had two physiatrists and four physical therapists on staff. Its budget for 2025, he said, was 249 million denars.

"The same goes for gloves. They are being custom made, after measurements were taken. This has been financed by Support Kochani, just as other things are financed by others. I responsibly claim that we are doing our best," the health insurance fund head said.

Regarding requests from some patients to have check-ups at the foreign hospitals that had provided medical care to them, Klekovski said if they needed this and wanted to continue their treatment there, "We have nothing against it." mr/