The Ministry of Health has paid out nearly 190 million euros across six of its investments, funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). This was announced by Minister of Health Katya Ivkova during the presentation of the ministry's report on reforms and investments under the plan. According to her, activities have been implemented over the last four months that lacked the necessary development in previous years.
The Minister explained that thanks to intensified management and expert work, the risks to individual investments have been minimized, and no loss of funds is expected. High-tech equipment has already been delivered to 50 medical facilities for stroke treatment and pediatric care. Additionally, 100 outpatient clinics have been built in 37 municipalities, and several information systems have been created.
Regarding the investment in hospital medical care, over 41 million euros have been paid out in the last four months, Ivkova noted. 497 devices and instruments for pediatric care have been provided, construction and installation activities have been carried out, and specialized medical technology has been installed in 50 medical facilities. An additional 10 systems and devices for the diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases have been secured.
For the investment in the national network for stroke treatment, the total amount of paid funds exceeds 72 million euros. Supply contracts have been signed in 17 hospitals, equipment has been mounted and installed, staff have undergone training, and specialized software is already operational. A network of six high-tech stroke centers, as well as 17 regional centers, has been established.
For the investment in psychiatric care, the paid amount is over 11 million euros. Renovations have been completed in 17 facilities, and significant progress is being made on the transformation of the "St. Ivan Rilski" State Psychiatric Hospital. A total of 26 sites with 2,500 beds are now equipped.
For air medical emergency services, 35 million euros have been paid, including the delivery of the final three medical helicopters, the Minister announced. She specified that the construction of operational bases was separated from the overall investment for air emergency services, which helped reduce financial risk. According to her, no funds will be lost on the HEMS investment. The construction of the bases themselves is yet to come, and the option of using existing facilities is being discussed to avoid spending additional state funds.
For the investment in national digital medical diagnostics, the paid amount is 6.626 million euros. A pilot platform has been introduced in 20 medical facilities, through which studies in the fields of oncology, radiology, dermatology, and pathology are exchanged. The platform is now also linked to the National Health Information System.
For the investment in outpatient care, the paid amount is 22.672 million euros. 100 outpatient clinics have been built and equipped in 96 villages and four towns, covering 37 municipalities. A total of 2,500 pieces of medical apparatus and equipment have been delivered, including 200 defibrillators, 100 telemedicine kits, 100 multi-sensor devices, and 700 remote service devices.
"The next stage is even more important. This new infrastructure must operate much more actively, closer to patients, and with correspondingly higher quality," said Ivkova. She noted that the ministry's task is to turn the built capacity into a sustainable system with measurable results for patients.
The Minister added that for some of the investments, financial payments may be made by December 31, even though the activities have already been completed. She emphasized that no funds will be lost due to unfulfilled indicators.
According to Ivkova, the Ministry of Health's investments under the NRRP amount to just over 500 million euros. Half of this amount must be paid this year. So far, nearly 190 million euros have been paid, and the remainder must be transferred by the end of the year.
The Minister further stated that the risks for each of the investments have been identified and minimized, and there are currently no signs of loss of funds due to failure to meet the set indicators.