Doctor Zarko Karadzovski, who heads the Infectious diseases committee, said that he will not resign in light of the greatly deteriorating situation with the coronavirus epidemic. Karadzovski dismissed allegations of personal corruption and laid the blame for the spiking infection and death rates at the public.

Respect the restrictions. The healthcare workers are at the end of their strength. We can’t cope financially, I don’t know how long we can go on. I will remain in the front lines till the end. We lack epidemiologists, that is a fact. We need strict fines for violations of the restrictions, against people who endanger our health and the health of their families. They must be held responsible, Karadzovski said.

Karadzovski added that 50 students from the higher classes of the Medical faculty have been introduced into services as of last week. They will work in conducting coronavirus testing. “That’s what we have, we don’t have 500 or 600 people to rely on”, he added. Public hospitals have started losing qualified personnel to private clinics, as well as to the growing instances of tensions, infighting and personal animosity brought on by the burden of the epidemic.

During the press conference, Karadzovski also informed that about 80 percent of all confirmed cases remain with no symptoms. Only 2 to 4 percent of all who test positive end up with inflammation and require hospitalization, and between 1 and 4 percent of them require mechanical ventilation – which in Macedonia is generally a death sentence.