site.btaHealth Minister Warns of Issues with Medical Helicopter Bases, Risk of Losing EU Funds
The situation regarding the bases for medical helicopters is worrying, even scandalous, caretaker Health Minister Michail Okoliyski told reporters on Friday. According to him, there is a risk of failure of the investment under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and a loss of funds: around EUR 6.3 million for the bases and over EUR 80 million for the helicopters.
Some bases do not have building permits, and one of the sites does not even have secured land, he went on to say. In fact, two years after the start of this investment under the NRRP, the actual construction of the bases has not begun and cannot be completed within the actual deadlines. Some of the planned sites are in the middle of nowhere, and there is even a compromised road to the base in Gabrovnitsa. "We are concerned about how all communication will take place effectively, how people working in the field will be transported, how they will be motivated to go to work, and where their families will live," he added.
In the 2023-2026 period, when this investment should be operational and everything should be coordinated and synchronized, this is not the case, the Health Minister said.
On Thursday, Okoliyski met with caretaker Minister of Transport Korman Ismailov and caretaker Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski to whom he proposed urgent measures to remove the construction of the bases from the NRRP so that Bulgaria does not lose the funds and they can be completed with state financing.
/RY/
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