Major Evgeni Zlatanov and Captain Boris Todorov are the commander and deputy commander of the military transport plane "Spartan" - the machine that on Sunday transported some of the seriously injured people from the North Macedonian city of Kochani from Skopje to Bulgarian hospitals.
In the “Interview in NOVA News“ Major Evgeni Zlatanov said that a total of 8 people were transported to Bulgaria, 5 of whom had more severe burns. “Three were hospitalized in Varna, the remaining five - in Sofia. We performed the flight in pressurized mode in order to maintain pressure like at the airport of departure - the conditions were as close as possible to those on the ground. We covered the distance from Skopje to Sofia in 30 minutes," he said.
According to him, the crew's duty shifts to constant readiness for action. "After setting the task, takeoff should be by 2 hours later during the day and by 3 at night. Many institutions were involved, and that's why the organization took longer - from 11 to 14:20 in the afternoon, when we took off. Everything was normal and safe. The transfer of patients was organized very well. The medical teams exchanged information about the patients," the major recalls.
In turn, Captain Boris Todorov pointed out that in situations with seriously injured people, dynamic action must be taken. "The medical team can perform manipulations on board, doctors constantly monitor the patients. They also help with holding the patients if the flight is more dynamic and there is turbulence. "It takes constant focus to do the job well. This was the hardest task for me so far, it involved a lot of wounded people," he commented.