site.btaUPDATED Cabinet Stops Liquidation of Bulgaria Heli Med Services

The Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov announced that the government has terminated the liquidation of Bulgaria Heli Med Services EAD, the company that was set up to provide air transport by helicopters for the needs of emergency medical care.

"The company was suspended and declared in liquidation by the caretaker cabinet”, Gvozdeikov said, adding that it was established to be the aviation operator, in accordance with European and Bulgarian legislation, carrying out emergency medical assistance flights by air.

He justified the government's decision to revert to the original option by the fact that the air ambulance project is funded and implemented under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. "There are clearly and firmly established parameters related to European regulations that must be strictly respected," he said.

"In the last month we have done work that has not been done before, which was assigned to the State Aviation Operator", Gvozdeikov said, adding that in general the process is well advanced. "As you found out last week, the operating bases have been identified. They are not hospital sites, they are places where the helicopters will be based," the Transport Minister said.

Gvozdeikov said that the Ministry of Health is already preparing the procurement documents for the construction of the six bases where the future air ambulances will be located. He said that talks are also being held with medical institutions across Bulgaria, which may have helipads for transporting patients.

In July 2022, the cabinet of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov decided to establish a sole joint-stock company with state capital participation in Heli Med Service EAD - Sofia, which would carry out flights for emergency medical assistance by air. Its executive director is the current Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov. In February 2022, the caretaker government of PM Galab Donev decided to liquidate the company. The then Transport Minister Hristo Aleksiev justified the decision with the need to transfer this activity to the State Aviation Operator.