At least six large investment funds have expressed interest in the construction of St. Ekaterina hospital in Sofia, which is still under construction, said Gencho Nachev, director of the hospital, Dnevnik business daily reported on November 30.

The hospital's management was yet to decide on the source of funding for the undertaking, with money from the state or through a public-private partnership. The hospital had a five million leva budget, whereas the necessary funds was about 22 million leva, the head of the administrative-economic department at the hospital, Andrei Markov, said.

Health Ministry would not name the investment funds. Markov recalled that the project on the expansion of St. Ekaterina hospital set out in 1994 at the initiative of renown professor Chirkov. The hospital was 90 per cent built. The last 10 per cent entailed the construction of the surgery department and was the most complex as it required special facilities, Markov said.

The hospital would host the sole licensed helicopter site for emergencies.