The modular hospital in Tetovo that burnt down yesterday evening while dozens of Covid patients were treated there – with at least 10 killed – was plagued with problems from the start. It was one of a dozen modular hospitals ordered by the Healthcare Ministry and set up next to the main Covid clinic in Skopje and next to general hospitals in other cities, to serve as overflow capacity. They were built by a company owned by former Deputy Prime Minister Koco Angusev, in a process that was criticized as untransparent, but criticism was quickly brushed aside because of the urgent need for more hospital beds.
While other such hospitals were built in the agreed time, the construction of the one in Tetovo was troubled from the start. In April, when it was put in use, Tetovo hospital director Artan Etemi warned that the oxygen supply system is still not operational, along with other, lesser issues.
We gave the company five days to correct the other issues and they said they will complete the oxygen supply in two to three days, Etemi said at the time.
Another incident was reported in late August, when pipes supplying oxygen to the entire hospital were cut, apparently from scavengers. A man was arrested for this incident.
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