Skopje, 18 March 2025 (MIA) - The number of hospitalized burn victims after the Kochani nightclub fire exceeds 160 or 170 including the 16 admitted to private hospitals. All have received appropriate treatment in the shortest possible time, within 24 hours, and over 70 patients have been successfully transported abroad. Given that capacities in the neighbouring countries are full, as of Tuesday patients will also be sent to Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium. Medical teams from the Czech Republic and Israel are assisting doctors in the country, while a team from Britain will arrive today to help prepare for the next phase - rehabilitation of the injured, said head of the Health Insurance Fund (HIF), Sasho Klekovski, who visited the "8 September" hospital alongside Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski. 

According to Klekovski, all patients are stable, which he noted is a great success. He added that the critical patients have been sent to specialized centres abroad.

"I assure family members that all patients have been mobilized, and maximum efforts are being made for their treatment. There is not a single critical patient who has not been admitted to a burns centre, and the Government has made it possible for the parents to be with their children," Klekovski pointed out, adding that this is not a 72-hour battle, but will last for weeks and months.

The head of the Health Insurance Fund noted that data on the patients will not be communicated personally.

"The media should not expect information about the condition of a patient, foreign hospitals insist that communication be through the Ministry of Health," said Klekovski. 

Head of the "8 September" hospital, Sinisha Stojanoski, said there are no critical patients for the time being, noting that all are stable. According to him, most patients have second and third degree burns, mostly on the head and hands. Other injuries are from inhaling hot air and exhaust gases, as well as traumatic injuries and fractures.

"The hospital takes extreme care of all patients, the team is fully committed. Protocols are fully observed. Burns are open wounds and precautions are taken to avoid potential infections," said Stojanoski. 

PM Mickoski appeals to everyone who had been in the vicinity of the terrible event to go see a doctor, regardless of whether they feel any symptoms or not.

"As a Government, we are doing everything we can to save human lives. A large number, more than 70, 80 patients, are outside the country. Today, both the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Minister of Health are in Thessaloniki, and then they will go to Sofia to visit some of the patients being treated there. In an hour and a half, we have a government session, we will pass a decision to cover the costs of two members of the families of patients taken abroad for treatment, including transportation and accommodation," Mickoski said. 

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