Memorial park for Tetovo modular hospital victims remains only a promise

A year after the construction of a memorial park was promised for the people who lost their lives in the September 8, 2021 fire at Tetovo’s modular hospital, work has still not begun. In fact, the area designated for the park has not even been cleared. The victims’ relatives have expressed disappointment, describing this as contempt for the victims, just as they say the court proceedings were.

Mumin Ismaili, a relative of one of the victims, says the families were deceived by promises to build a memorial for the 14 victims.

“We, as relatives, were disappointed by the memorial park. We were promised the park, and the site where it would be built was selected. At the time, Azir Aliu was minister, and we reached an agreement to build the park, but it was never built. They promised us and lied to us. In this country, whenever something has been promised to us as relatives, they have always lied to us. It was never built, and I do not even know what is happening with the memorial for the 14 victims,” said Mumin Ismaili, a relative of one of the victims.

Meanwhile, the director of Tetovo Clinical Hospital, Erzen Elezi, says that the institution he heads has fulfilled its obligations regarding the project. According to him, the requested documentation was submitted to the Ministry of Health, which is responsible for building the park.

“As we informed you, Tetovo Clinical Hospital was asked to identify the site and location where a memorial park could be built for the tragedy that occurred at Tetovo Hospital. We provided the Ministry of Health with all the necessary documents that were requested, but this is a project of the Ministry of Health. We have asked several times and received information that the procedure is at the tendering stage,” declared Erzen Elezi, director of Tetovo Clinical Hospital.

A month ago, during his most recent visit to Tetovo Clinical Hospital, Health Minister Sasho Klekovski said he had not been informed about the unfinished project.

“In fact, I was not aware that we had an unfinished project here. The mayor informed me; I will look into it and we will give it priority,” said Sasho Klekovski, minister of health.

A few weeks before the anniversary of the tragedy at Tetovo’s modular hospital, the Prosecutor’s Office closed its second investigation into the procurement of modular hospitals. This further extinguished the relatives’ hopes of a full clarification of the case. Fourteen people lost their lives in the fire that broke out on September 8, 2021, at Tetovo’s modular hospital. In connection with the incident, in addition to Tetovo Hospital as a legal entity, the hospital’s two directors, Florin Besimi and Artan Etemi, were also charged with failing to install fire-extinguishing equipment in the modular facility in Tetovo. /Alsat/