SDSM Vice President Aleksandar Trajanovski told Television 24’s news program that the contamination of the water supply with coliform bacteria in the 21st century constitutes a disaster. According to him, such cases are usually recorded during floods or other natural disasters, and all those responsible must be held accountable. He said the incident in Gostivar demonstrates serious dysfunction within the current government and poor communication between institutions.
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Trajanovski said responsibility for the situation in Gostivar should be sought at all levels, starting at the top of government. He stressed that SDSM does not absolve the local government of responsibility, but placed the primary blame on the ruling party, which, according to him, should have brought the situation under control and prevented it from escalating.
SDSM is demanding that the full documentation be made public, together with the entire sequence of institutional decisions and responses. Trajanovski emphasized that the first symptoms appeared as early as the end of July, but no one acted in time.
He questioned the lack of measures, even though 200–300 patients with the same clinical symptoms were admitted to Gostivar Hospital for several consecutive days. Trajanovski said the blame cannot be attributed solely to the local government, particularly since the hospital director stated that the Ministry of Health had been informed.
According to him, if the Institute of Public Health has authority over all public health centers, it must be clarified what action was taken by the Public Health Center in Tetovo, which also oversees the Gostivar branch. He demanded answers as to whether anyone was notified and alerts were sent during those five days, or whether the response was limited solely to testing the water.
Trajanovski described these as five precious days that were lost. He noted that, on the one hand, the hospital director claims that the Ministry was aware, while, on the other, it appears that the information either failed to reach the right place or someone did not respond in time. For this reason, he said, it is indisputable that someone must be held accountable.
The SDSM vice president also stressed that Gostivar residents have the right to receive full answers and that the institutions must be transparent.
He said that, in such a situation, an institutional representative should have appeared before the public every day, held press conferences, reassured citizens and provided clear information about developments.
Trajanovski compared the current authorities’ communication with that during the COVID-19 crisis, when SDSM leader Venko Filipçe served as health minister.
In conclusion, he recalled that Venko Filipçe appeared before the public every day during the COVID-19 crisis and provided guidance on dealing with a global health crisis. According to Trajanovski, today’s government is failing to manage even the crisis in Gostivar.
