Macut: No Active Fires Left in Deliblatska Pescara

Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut said on the “Jutro je” morning show on Radio Belgrade’s First Program that there are no more active fires in Deliblatska Pescara. The prime minister said more than 480 people, firefighters, rescue workers, army units and civil protection teams, had been continuously deployed on the ground, and that there were no human casualties, while residents’ property had been fully protected.

Macut described how sandy terrain, dry roots and conifers, combined with very high temperatures, made the firefighting effort harder. He said a Russian Ilyushin aircraft played a key role in bringing the fire under control.

The prime minister’s statement comes a week after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic visited the fire site in Deliblatska Pescara. This marks the first time the head of government has confirmed that the firefighting operation, which was still ongoing at the time of Vucic’s visit, has since been completed.

Danube falls below historic low

Alongside the fires, Serbia is dealing with Danube water levels that have dropped below a historic low. Pumping stations in Bezdan and Bogojevo have been activated in response, where crews had to dredge additional silt and sand just to be able to draw water at all and keep central Vojvodina’s water supply running.

Macut announced the formation of a team that will draft a national water strategy covering the next 30 years, criticizing the fragmentation of public utilities in the water sector. He said water management needs to function as a single, unified system rather than through separate companies.

Bigger healthcare budget

The prime minister, a physician by profession, also shared figures on the health budget during the same appearance. The state’s healthcare budget stands at around five billion euros. Sixteen new anticoagulants that prevent blood clots and pulmonary embolisms have been added to the list of subsidized medicines, with the state covering 70 percent of their cost and patients paying the remaining 30 percent. For modern heart failure medications, the state covers half the price.

Macut, a longtime endocrinologist, warned against the uncontrolled use of diabetes medications for weight loss, often driven by advice circulating on social media. He said this practice can trigger severe pancreatitis in obese patients and lead to fatal outcomes, and also causes shortages of the drug for patients who actually need it for diabetes treatment. He noted that prescribing these medications outside clear medical indications violates regulations and is punishable for both doctors and the pharmacists who dispense them.

The prime minister also announced a concrete measure to distribute part of the state’s accumulated budget funds to citizens.

“Applications open on September 7, so soon, with payouts starting September 22. The main goal is really to take this budget surplus, or accumulation, whatever you want to call it, that exists at a given moment, and distribute it as a social payment to everyone, because equality and social fairness are really at the core of any normal, socially responsible state system,” Macut said.

The payout date, September 22, is so far the only precise deadline the prime minister gave regarding this measure.