Zaev does not accept Filipce and Hasani’s offered resignation for moral reasons

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has not accepted the offered resignations for moral reasons of Health Minister Venko Filipce and his deputy Ilir Hasani in regards to the fire that broke out on September 8 this year in the Tetovo modular hospital, where 14 people lost their lives.

– There is no reason to locate political and managerial responsibility with Minister Venko Filipce and Deputy Minister Ilir Hasani, who for moral reasons submitted resignations. The competent authorities will note any possible mistakes caused by human factor, said today Prime Minister Zaev, adding that he gives them trust to continue to lead the health system.

Zaev emphasized that his position remains that he will not allow politicization of the tragedy in the Tetovo hospital. – We the politicians and the executive government, in general must not and will not interpret the report of the experts who acted upon the order of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of North Macedonia, said Zaev.

– The cause of the fire has been discovered and it has been clearly and publically put out. I received this information and I am acting upon it and have immediately instructed the Ministry of Health to conduct field inspections in all modular hospitals as soon as possible. Now the most important thing is to reinforce inspections and checks in order to lower the risk of such accidents in the future, due to which, unfortunately, 14 people lost their lives.

He pointed out that a horrible tragedy stuck us, but that we are not the only country in the world where such tragedies have happened and at the same time again expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

Previously today, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of North Macedonia informed that a report has been submitted to the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office Tetovo from the expert investigation of the fire in the Tetovo modular hospital, prepared by the Forensic Department of the Ministry of Interior.

– The expertise determines that the fire broke out as a result of an electrical short circuit through a high transient resistance in the connection cable of a defibrillator with which a patient was resuscitated in one of the hospital rooms. The overheating of the cable caused ignition in the junction box of the extension cable to which the defibrillator was connected, a mobile phone charger and one more device, is said in the statement.

Translation: N. Cvetkovska