The first transnational inaugural meeting of the project “Seeding Life”, financed by the EU Erasmus+ program, was held on 21st -22nd January 2016, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The project is coordinated by the University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment and Emergency Medicine (UMHATEM) “N. I. Pirogov”, Sofia, Bulgaria with the cooperation and active participation of the Bulgarian Executive Agency for Transplantation.

The project partners and project participants who attended the meeting are:

  • Representative of University of Barcelona: Marti Manyalich, MD, PhD and Melania Istrate,
  • Representatives of the DTI Foundation: Gloria Páez, and Aneta Toncheva,
  • Representatives of the Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (PSCUH), Latvia: dr. Daina Rožkalne – head of Intensive care unit of East University Hospital in Riga, dr. Eva Steina –intensivist in the PSCUH and dr. Evija Sama – reanimatologist in the Intensive care unit.
  • Representative of UMHATEM Pirogov: Prof. Stoyan Milanov – Executive Director of UMHATEM Pirogov; Prof. Milan Milanov; doc. Oleg Cholakov – surgeon in UMATEM and Deputy Director of the scientific division of Pirogov; Georgui Georgiev – anaesthesiologist in the Anaesthesiology and Intensive care unit in UMHATEM Pirogov, Diana Rangelova – head of “Research and Postgraduate Studies and Relations” in UMHATEM “N.I. Pirogov”; Ivayla Stoyanova – training and qualification expert in department “Scientific research and postgraduate training and Medical university relation” in UMHATEM;
  • Representative of the Bulgarian Executive Agency for Transplantation (BEAT): dr. Maryana Simeonova – Executive Director of BEAT; Daniela Petkova – Deputy Executive Director; Radostina Getova – PR expert in BEAT;
  • Key donation people from Bulgaria and future trainers: dr. Slavi Assov – anaesthesiologist in ICU in Military Medical Academy in Sofia and transplant coordinator; Valentin Marinchev – anaesthesiologist in ICU in Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment “St. Marina”, Varna; dr. Nikolay Mladenov – specialising anaesthesiology in the Medical University in Varna; dr. Georgui Dimitrov – anaesthesiologist and transplant coordinator in University multiprofile hospital for active treatment (UMHAT) “Georgui Stranski”, Pleven; dr. Kostadin Chifligarov – head of the Intensive care unit and a transplant coordinator in University multiprofile hospital for active treatment (UMHAT), Plovdiv; dr. Milena Mineva – anaesthesiologist in the Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Department at the Multiprofile hospital for active treatment (MHIT), Burgas.

This project is a strategic partnership among three countries: Spain, Bulgaria and Latvia. Through the project the Spanish recognized and leading training experience in Transplant Procurement Management of organ donation and transplantation will be transferred in Bulgaria and Latvia. Its goal is the establishment of a training program in the field of organ donation and transplantation for the Bulgarian and the Latvian specialists.

Within its implementation scope the project will develop studies on the status of the process of organ donation and transplantation in Bulgaria and Latvia and will create a plan and training programs for the training of professionals related to the process of organ donation and transplantation in both parties, beneficiaries of the project. During the project realization, a total of 250 specialists will be trained.

Seeding Life