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Norway supports North Macedonia with air evacuation

News story | Date: 21/03/2025 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health and Care Services

Yesterday Norwegian Armed Forces evacuated 7 patients from North Macedonia to Spain. The patients are injured from a fire at a nightclub on March 16, where many died and several were injured. The evacuation helps to relieve the healthcare system in North Macedonia and ensures that the patients gain access to specialized hospital treatment in Spain.

Picture of the medevac plane at night — The Joint Medical Service on a mission where they evacuated the injured from the fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia. The injured were evacuated to Spain. Credit: The Joint Medical Service

The medical transport is carried out by the Norwegian Armed Forces through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, following a request for assistance from the Norwegian Directorate of Health. The evacuation is conducted by healthcare personnel from the Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services, using plane from SAS. This is the same arrangement that was used for the evacuation of patients from Gaza and is employed for the evacuation of Ukrainian patients. Yesterday’s evacuation does not affect the support for Ukraine.