site.btaNational Children's Hospital Company Chief Fired over Contract Delay, Unnecessary Spending

Nikolai Borisov was dismissed from office as head of the investment company for building a national children's hospital in Sofia by order of the caretaker Minister of Health Galya Kondeva, her ministry reported on Thursday. The decision follows an internal audit at the company (officially: Health Investment Company for Children's Hospital) which checked the implementation of a relevant resolution of the National Assembly.

The audit revealed a number of irregularities. These include an unwarranted delay in signing a contract for the demolition of buildings at the site for the future hospital in Sofia's Gorna Banya Quarter; unnecessary spending on legal services; failure on the part of the Board of Directors to submit a business programme; failure to fulfill the National Assembly resolution demanding submission of an updated plan for building a national children's hospital; and low transparency about the project, including failure to maintain and carry out daily updates of the information on the company's website.

Kondeva met with the public council for the project to brief them on the findings of the audit and to notify them in person about Borisov's dismissal. She proposed to the public council solutions to the problems discussed at a meeting on May 10 concerning communication with the Health Ministry. To improve communication, a coordination unit was set up comprising representatives of the competent directorates at the ministry,

At Thursday's meeting, the ministry presented gynaecologist Vlatko Gligorov as acting director of the children's hospital company, who will hold the office until a new leader is elected through a recruitment competition.

Borisov's predecessor, Elena Peneva, was dismissed in September 2023.