The Ministry of the Interior responded to NSi’s complaints regarding the tender for the purchase of dedicated helicopters for the implementation of Helicopter Emergency Medical Assistance.
Last October, the government included a new project for the purchase of two dedicated helicopters for the provision of emergency medical assistance in the 2024-2027 Development Program Plan. Prime Minister Robert Golob had previously announced that Slovenia will build a fleet and infrastructure for helicopter emergency medical assistance, and will first purchase two dedicated life-saving helicopters. On November 15, 2024, the Ministry of the Interior published a public contract for the purchase of two helicopters on the public procurement portal, which, according to NSi, is only intended to supplement the police fleet.
After reviewing the tender documentation and technical specifications in Nova Slovenia, they note that these are not dedicated helicopters for the implementation of HNMP. “Not only that, with the tender, we will not get the urgently needed dedicated helicopters for quick and efficient assistance to the medically endangered. As it turns out, the tender is also prepared for a specific provider who has already provided helicopters to the state fleet.” they stated in the party. The starting points for the reorganization of the HNMP are also unimaginable. According to the tender documents, the Ministry of the Interior will purchase dual-purpose helicopters, which will be available both for HNMP and for the performance of regular operational tasks of the Police, the party claims. Helicopters of this type exist in Slovenia already today, they are at the disposal of both the Slovenian Army and the Police, they point out.
“The purchase of two additional dual-purpose helicopters does not mean any change in the quality and manner of HNMP implementation. In Nova Slovenia, we demand that the Commission for the Control of Public Finances, in cooperation with the profession, review the technical specifications and the economic feasibility of the public procurement. If our suspicions turn out to be justified, it means that both the Prime Minister, Dr. Robert Golob as well as Minister of Internal Affairs Boštjan Poklukar misled the Slovenian public,” emphasized the KNJF president and MP at today’s press conference Jernej Vrtovec. This means much worse conditions for the injured and seriously ill, as well as sub-optimal conditions for the work of rescue teams, Vrtovec was clear.
The accusations are meaningless. malicious and harmful
However, the Ministry of the Interior has already responded to the accusations, where they wrote that the accusation that the dedicated helicopters are being bought by the Ministry of the Interior and not the Ministry of Health is absurd. The legislation clearly defines the demarcation of tasks and responsibilities for the implementation of helicopter emergency medical assistance (HNMP) between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Interior, helicopter carriers are determined by the government at the proposal of the Minister of Health, they emphasized.
“The government made a decision in June 2024 that helicopter emergency medical assistance and inter-hospital helicopter transports and helicopter transports of children in incubators, in accordance with the Commission’s Regulation, will be carried out in the long term as a state activity with police aircraft. The medical part of HNMP activities falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Health, Police will carry out the transport part and manage the fleet. The helicopters will thus be dedicated to supporting the operation of medical teams.” they stated.
“After many years, even decades, Slovenia is buying dedicated helicopters for HNMP, which is commendable, and we believe that people who need help do not wonder which ministry is procuring them,” they added.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, work on the HNMP project is intensive in all areas and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders. The professional and technical basis for the implementation of the public contract for the purchase of two dedicated helicopters was prepared by the Police – Aviation Police Unit in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. The tender documents for the public contract in question were approved by the Ministry of Health before signing, they explained.
In response to Vrtovec’s accusations that Slovenia will remain the last member of the EU to provide first aid for its citizens in violation of EU regulations and not meet the required modern first aid standards for its citizens, they wrote that there are quite a few state operators in Europe that provide emergency services they fly with dedicated state aircraft, many of which are from the ranks of police units. In Germany, rescue flights are carried out by the state operator of the Federal Police, which provides coverage for 12 of the 70 HNMP bases, a unit of the Bavarian police and others.
The estimated value of the entire HNMP project is 49.9 million euros
“The estimated value of the project includes the purchase of two helicopters, the arrangement of the base at the Jože Pučnik Airport in Ljubljana, the arrangement of the base at the Edvard Rusjan Maribor Airport, new staff employment, training, maintenance of helicopters and the like. A flat assessment that help is needed and rescuers will not be better, it is malicious and harmful,” they also wrote at the Ministry of the Interior.
Purpose of the “Golden Hour”
As they explained, the purpose of the “golden hour” is for the patient to be on the surgical table within one hour after the injury. “A dedicated helicopter must fulfill everything that allows the best achievement of this objective. It must reach a high cruising speed, as this allows a short flight time to the patient and a short flight time to the hospital. The dedicated helicopter must be equipped with a winch, as this does not require a helicopter landing on the nearest suitable terrain, installation of ropes, slow lift with paramedics attached, slow flight to the scene of the accident and descent of paramedics to the patient the team takes care of the patient in the helicopter until he arrives at the hospital.” they strung.
The regulations on the conditions for the implementation of helicopter emergency assistance stipulate that the helicopter carrier shall ensure such an organization that the activation time does not exceed five minutes in normal weather conditions. The government’s decision stipulates that helicopter emergency medical assistance and interhospital helicopter transports and helicopter transports of children in incubators in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) no. 965/2012 are carried out in the long term as a state activity with Police aircraft, the color of which is specified in the Regulation on Police Vehicles, Vessels, Weapons and Special Equipment. Considering that the transport will be carried out by police aircraft, the Regulation on vehicles, vessels, weapons and special equipment of the police must be observed, the Ministry of the Interior explains, emphasizing that the regulations on the emergency medical assistance service in appendix five do not prescribe colors – neither for emergency medical vehicles nor for aircraft. “However, it prescribes the markings of ambulances, which will sensibly also be used on dedicated helicopters. The reference to yellow, which should be the color of ambulance helicopters everywhere in Europe, is unfounded and also against the regulations.”
The color is not legally defined
At the same time, they add that the colors of rescue helicopters are not specified even in the European legislation that regulates this area. In Europe and around the world, helicopters for providing helicopter emergency medical assistance are of different colors: blue, orange, green, red, yellow, or combinations of the above.
The statement that the dedicated rescue helicopter will have wheels instead of sleds is misleading
Providers can also offer other versions in the event that the manufacturer of the offered helicopter does not offer a tricycle retractable undercarriage, i.e. a helicopter with a landing sled is also possible, NSi complains that “the helicopter does not have a sled, but wheels, which means worse chances of landing on wet terrain or in the snow”. stated at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“The statement that HNMP is only carried out in daylight is extremely insulting”
“The operational characteristic of incubator transport is necessary and also required in the technical specification, which is part of the tender documentation for the public procurement in question, but not exactly with the Powerload system. We explain that there are several helicopter manufacturers on the market that offer different equipment solutions or systems. By requiring equipment or the Powerload system, which according to the information known to the client, is provided by only one helicopter manufacturer, the client would unjustifiably restrict competition between providers.” they say at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“Both the base at the airport in Ljubljana and the base in Maribor ensure a uniform and quick response anywhere in Slovenia. The statement that HNMP is only carried out in broad daylight is extremely insulting to all the dedicated HNMP crews who sacrifice every day to help those in need and they save precious lives,” they still emphasize.
In Slovenia, the infrastructure that enables helicopters to take off and land in instrumental meteorological conditions is provided only at international airports, which means that helicopters can fly and land at these airports even in fog. In this case, the minimum weather conditions for flying are still defined, in which the flight may not be carried out, just as this also applies to passenger aircraft. The advantage is that the rescue helicopter can take off in bad weather and return to the airport according to the instrument flight rules. Even if he cannot land at the hospital’s heliport, which may also be in fog, he can treat and bring the patient to further care by landing at the airport or flying to another hospital that is not in fog, the Ministry of the Interior concluded.
However, as the Ministry of Health further explained, the portable medical equipment will be purchased separately, as it will be owned by the public health institute, which must also maintain the equipment properly. “Since three public health institutions operate in the implementation of HNMP activities, after the selection of the provider of dedicated helicopters, it will be easier to determine the equipment of the most uniform type, according to the capabilities of the selected provider,” they emphasized.
Source: svet24.si
