Emergency medical workers protest in front of Ministry of Health

Emergency medical professionals on August 10 protested against the new rules for payment when working with Covid patients.

The reason for the dissatisfaction is related to the adopted new rules for additional remuneration, which actually lead to a drastic reduction of the remuneration of the employees.

The protest is being held in front of the Ministry of Health, where the new methodology came from.

Until the end of May, the specialists working on the frontline against Covid-19 received extra BGN 1,000 per month, but according to the new methodology, the amount of remuneration should be determined according to the work with proven Covid-19 patients.

We are protesting because we are disgusted, offended, humiliated. The ministry at the last minute sent us a methodology for a new redistribution of money for risk. We receive our salaries, this payment is for the risk, and the risk exxists, only one patient is enough, said Dr. Daniela Nikolova, chairwoman of the trade union federation of healthcare at CITUB.

Doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers employed at the Centre for Emergency Aid in Sofia and emergency aid centre in other major cities voiced dissatisfaction with the new payment rules.

The protesters organized a march from the Ministry of Health to the Presidency, and some CITUB medics said they refused to participate because they did not want the protest to be politicized.