10.04.2020.
The Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces have no influence on where infected patients will be accommodated and treated
Regarding the request of retired General Malinović that special privileges and conditions should be provided during the treatment of the retired General Ponoš and his wife, which are not provided for other patients in the same condition, the Ministry of Defence emphasizes that it is very irresponsible to reveal the names of people who are being treated for any disease including Covid-19, without their consent.
The Ministry of Defence has not and will not release the names of patients or details of their treatment. If retired General Ponoš and his wife gave their consent that retired member of the Serbian Armed Forces Sreto Malinović can give information about them, it is their decision that we will not comment on.
But for the sake of truthful information to the public, the Ministry of Defence points out that the decision on who will be admitted and treated at the temporary hospital at the Belgrade Fair is solely and competently made by doctors in healthcare institutions who first come into contact with the patients and, depending on their clinical presentation, decide on the place and method of their treatment.
The Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces can or should in no way influence where the infected patients will be accommodated and treated.
Once again we emphasize that the temporary hospital at the Belgrade Fair meets all the requirements for the treatment of patients with mild symptoms of Covid-19. Medical supervision and medical care are provided 24 hours a day, with patient rounds around 9 a.m. and 4 p.m, when all rooms are visited and patients' health is checked. Testing is currently being conducted at seven-day intervals.
The Chief Medical Coordinator of the Temporary Hospital at the Belgrade Fair is Lieutenant Colonel Veljko Milić, MD, of the Clinic for Emergency Internal Medicine of the Military Medical Academy, and members of the Serbian Armed Forces are in charge of securing the Fair and the provision of accommodation and food in the temporary hospital.
Medical staff works in three shifts. During the eight-hour shift, medical staff spends four hours in the Hall where the patients are accommodated and there is a sufficient number of doctors and medical technicians depending on the number of patients undergoing treatment.
The patients in the hospital receive free therapy and medications which they regularly use, if they did not bring their own.
Each patient is given a list of rules of conduct, which they must adhere to. All three meals are provided, the food is of good quality and tasty, and water dispensers have cold and hot water for tea. There are showers and hot water for the patients. They also have different types of entertainment available to fill the time during their treatment here. There are daily newspapers, magazines, books, comics, board games, etc.
