North Macedonia’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, H.E. Agneza Popovska, presented an award to Sofia’s N. I. Pirogov Hospital in recognition of its efforts in treating the most seriously injured young people following the tragic disco fire in Kočani in March 2025. The award was received by Pirogov’s Executive Director, Dr. Valentin Dimitrov.

During her visit, Ambassador Popovska met with the hospital’s Clinic for Burns and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery team, including Prof. Dr. Maya Argirova, Dr. Martin Popov, Dr. Martin Martinov, Dr. Martin Lyubomirov, and Assoc. Prof. Bogdan Mladenov. She expressed gratitude to both the hospital administration and medical staff, emphasizing the crucial role they played in ensuring that all children and young patients survived and recovered well. The teams also provided updates on the ongoing follow-up care of the patients.

Dr. Dimitrov thanked the ambassador for the recognition and reaffirmed that Pirogov Hospital remains fully committed to providing specialized medical care to all who require it.

The Kocani disco fire on March 26, 2025, claimed 63 lives and injured over 200 people. Bulgaria was among the first countries to respond, with dozens of victims transported to hospitals in Sofia, Varna, and Plovdiv. Many of the most severe cases were treated at Pirogov, demonstrating the hospital’s expertise in emergency and specialized care.

Families of the deceased continue to hold weekly protests in Kočani, known as the “March for the Angels,” demanding justice for those responsible for the tragedy.