The Deputy Head of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade (MMA), Ivan Leković, announced today that following the fire in Kočani, North Macedonia, six injured individuals were transported to the facility, while an additional patient was treated at the Military Hospital in Niš. He stressed that all patients are in serious condition.

“The patients were conveyed via three ambulances and a Serbian Army transport plane. All admitted to the MMA are younger individuals, aged between 1998 and 2007. One patient received treatment at the Military Hospital in Niš through a military ambulance. All patients are currently in the intensive care unit, facing critical conditions. We are implementing intensive care protocols and utilizing all available resources to support these individuals and assist the people of North Macedonia,” stated Leković.

Furthermore, he noted that in addition to burns, the patients are exhibiting signs of gas poisoning from the fire, along with inhalation injuries, which have affected their respiratory systems and lungs due to exposure to hot air and hazardous materials.

He mentioned that the treatment process is expected to be prolonged, necessitating multiple surgeries and the expertise of various specialists including pulmonologists, cardiologists, neurologists, and plastic surgeons.

The patient admitted to Niš Military Hospital has already undergone surgery and remains in critical condition, Leković added.

The MMA has dispatched a six-member medical team to North Macedonia by medical transport. The team comprises two plastic surgeons, an anesthesiologist, an anesthetist, and two medical technicians who will aid local medical staff in the surgical treatment of patients and will remain in Skopje for as long as necessary.

In addition, another 12 patients will be transferred from Skopje to the Military Medical Academy and the Clinical Center of Serbia for treatment after a triage and assessment of their conditions, as announced by the MMA.

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