Skopje, 28 March 2025 (MIA) - Another eight patients who were injured in the nightclub fire in Kochani are being released from Skopje clinics for home treatment, and nine patients are set to return from abroad, Minister of Health Arben Taravari told a press conference on Friday. 

According to him, only 14 patients will remain at the Skopje clinics, while 91 patients remain in treatment abroad. The eight patients who are expected to arrive on Friday, including three from Hungary, two from Italy and one each from Athens, Belgrade and Sweden, will remain at the Skopje clinics for at least 24 hours for additional checks in line with protocols of the crisis HQ. One patient in Bulgaria, he noted, is already staying in a hotel and is only treated on an outpatient basis.

"We also receive good news for the four critical patients, as their condition has improved compared to yesterday. We are optimistic that there will be no further complications with them. Certain laboratory parameters show improvement," said Taravari.  

He said another two patients are expected to arrive on Saturday, one from Lithuania and one from Sweden, and a decision can be made on others in the meantime.

Currently, the Minister added, six patients are treated at the Toxicology Clinic, two at the Plastic Surgery Clinic, six at the St. Naum Ohridski City General Hospital, five at the 8 September hospital and three at the Sistina private hospital.

Head of the Toxicology Clinic, Andon Chibishev, noted that the six patients currently receiving treatment at the clinic are those who returned from treatment abroad on Thursday, adding that all are in good general health with stable clinical parameters.

Taravari reiterated that medical treatment provided to the injured in the Kochani fire is free, both at home and abroad. 

As regards the shortcomings of the healthcare system in the country, he said no healthcare system in the world is ideal, but despite inherited shortcomings, the situation with the patients affected by the fire in Kochani has been managed relatively well.

"This situation has shown us that the Clinical Centre needs to be integrated. And that is why I will soon insist, in coordination with all relevant political factors, that we at least start with the surgery clinic, and then the entire Clinical Centre should be a single unit," said Taravari. 

On opening of a burns centre, he said there have been discussions with the head of the 8 September hospital over repurposing the Covid centre, noting however that additional human resources were needed for that.

In addition, the Minister said an agreement has been signed with the two healthcare unions on Friday regarding the wage coefficient, an issue that has been negotiated in 2017.

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