Parents of infected babies announced a hunger strike

At the request of the parents of infected babies in the hospital in Bjelopolje, who have been protesting in front of the hospital gate for 10 days, none of the officials has so far responded.

The parents of the babies are demanding the suspension of former hospital director Tomislav Jeremić and head of neonatology Haka Tahirović, against whom criminal proceedings are being conducted in the High Court of that city. Parents have announced a hunger strike since March 13.

For nine days of three-hour protests in front of the gates of the Bjelopolje hospital, the parents of the infected babies did not receive a response from the authorities to the request for the suspension of doctors Tomislav Jeremic and Haka Tahirović, against whom criminal proceedings are being conducted in the case of the Bjelopolje baby.

"Nobody contacted us, neither from the hospital management, nor from the municipality of Bijelo Polje, nor anyone from the Ministry of Health, which shows their attitude towards us and our overall situation," said the father of the deceased baby, Slaviša Knežević.

Instead of that, the statement of Acting Minister of Health Suad Numanović arrived that during the infection of five newborns in the hospital in Bijelo Polje, one of whom died, nothing spectacular happened and that it has not yet been confirmed that an interhospital infection occurred in that institution. Such a statement for parents of babies is, they say, offensive.

"I completely agree with him. It is very tragic that a small, big life was lost and the reaction of the minister is debatable to say the least and it offends my sanity, that of my family, that I do not go further," Knežević said.

As the authorities are still silent on their request, the parents of the babies announce the radicalization of the protest.

"On Friday, we will set up a tent, we will start a hunger strike. We invite the citizens of Bijelo Polje and beyond to join us. Our children's lives were in the hands of the doctors from Friday and our lives will be in their hands, so we simply expect things to speed up and a final decision is made on the suspension of the doctor," said the father of the infected baby, Predrag Karisik.

In addition to the citizens that day at the protest scheduled at noon, weather permitting, parents will be joined by their families and babies.