Zoran Zaev and Ali Ahmeti were booed when they arrived at the site of the tragic accident in Tetovo, where at least 14 people burnt to death in the improvised Covid hospital.
They avoided speaking to the press, leaving it to the state prosecutors’ office to inform the public about the death toll. Following the urgent crisis meeting in Tetovo yesterday, the Government is expected to meet in Skopje today, and discuss the situation.
Meanwhile, in absence of official response to the tragedy, the press and the public through social media are demanding answers.
The questions raised include the controversial contract to build the modular hospitals, that was awarded to a company owned by one of Zaev’s former Deputy Prime Minister Koco Angusev. Besides the apparent cronyism, the particular modular hospital in Tetovo had construction issues, including in the oxygen supply system, which were noted by the director of the general hospital in this city. This system is now looked into as witnesses say that the fire was spread through the oxygen pipes or canisters.
Other issues include the general lawlessness in the hospital, where it was often reported that visitors come and go, and stay overnight, even to the restricted Covid ward. The lack of care is also evident in the traffic congestion around the hospital, as firefighters say they had difficulty approaching the site of the fire from all the parked cars.
Finally, the Government never addressed the issue of relaxing travel restrictions during the summer months, when tens of thousands of emigrants from Tetovo, Gostivar, and other cities came to Macedonia to meet families and friends, often organizing mass parties and weddings. The Government kept the borders open, aware of the importance of the financial impact, and did not try to disrupt the blatant violations of restrictions on weddings and gatherings. This led to the huge current pandemic wave, that is centered in Tetovo, Gostivar and Skopje, and prompted the reopening of the modular hospital.
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