site.btaOver 1,800 People Saved by Mountain Rescue Service in 2023

The Mountain Rescue Service (MRS) of the Bulgarian Red Cross (BRC) provided help to more than 1,800 people last year, MRS Chairman Veselin Ganchev said on Wednesday at the General Report Meeting for 2023 of the regional Red Cross organization in Razgrad. He pointed out that a large part of the actions carried out were to provide assistance to victims on ski slopes; another 200 actions involved rescuing people during avalanches, searching for the lost, and transporting the injured.

According to Ganchev, the main problems in the past year were related to financing. "Thanks to the good work of the directorate and other colleagues from the office, we managed to convince the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance that the budget should be increased. Thus, the subsidy for 2024, which will be allocated by the State to the Mountain Rescue Service, is BGN 2.6 million," Ganchev said. 

He added that this will give an opportunity to increase the salaries of full-time and seasonal lifeguards. Ganchev added that in addition to a subsidy from the state budget, the financing of the MRC also comes from donations and sponsorships from various organisations and companies, and thanked all sponsors and donors who support the cause of the service.

Ganchev expressed his appreciation of the fact that Bulgaria has its first air ambulance. However, at this stage the Mountain Rescue Service will not be able to use it 100% effectively due to the lack of an external winch, he said. "I hope that in June, when they deliver the second helicopter, which will be equipped with a winch, the joint work will begin to provide faster and adequate assistance to the victims in the mountains," added Ganchev.

The General Report Meeting was also attended by Razgrad Deputy Mayor Zornitsa Evgenieva and the mayors of Isperih, Kubrat, Zavet, Loznitsa and Samuil municipalities.