The new management of the "Health Investment Company for a Children's Hospital" (HICCH) has been officially registered and has taken over the company's management. Their next step involves forming a working group to define the scope of activities and the specific mandate for the future National Children's Hospital. The process will utilize European Investment Bank reports regarding the medical facility's structure, and the group will include representatives from key institutions and the Public Council.
The first action taken by the new management at HICCH is the withdrawal of the appeal filed with the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) against the decision of the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) regarding the public procurement for the National Children's Hospital. Simultaneously, a request has been made to terminate the current public procurement process. The reasons cited include the CPC decision, findings from an internal audit, and the understanding that a project of such public priority requires refinement through broad expert involvement. These decisions were announced by Minister of Health Katya Ivkova during a meeting with the Public Council for the National Children's Hospital, according to the ministry's press center.
"We are beginning a new stage—one defined by transparency, expertise, and partnership. The National Children's Hospital must be a project backed by the best professional knowledge and a clear vision for the future of pediatric healthcare. The Public Council is our natural partner in this process," emphasized Prof. Elena Peneva-Zlatkova.
To ensure continuous coordination, the new HICCH management will function as an operational unit in constant contact with the Public Council. Through regular working meetings, decisions will be made on strategic issues—ranging from the hospital's functions and structure to the necessary pediatric departments, staff training, and key implementation milestones. Immediately after the mandate is finalized, work will move into the next phases, which include infrastructure planning and securing medical personnel.
The development of the National Children's Hospital is crucial for the quality of pediatric care that will be available to children from Burgas and the region.
Minister Ivkova emphasized the urgency of the project: "We are putting an end to the delays and getting the project moving again. Bulgaria cannot wait another 10-15 years for a National Children's Hospital. Our goal is to construct the hospital and the adjacent infrastructure within this mandate, while simultaneously working on the most important capital—the people who will provide treatment there."
In media broadcasts during August, Health Minister Katya Ivkova reminded that the ambition is to complete the National Children's Hospital within the current mandate. She expressed dissatisfaction with the project's current state, noting that it is "extremely undignified at this stage, after six years, to have only a bare plot of land and unfinished work." >