GPs and Health Inspectors Stage a Protest

Informal meeting of the EU Ministers of Health is held in Sofia on 23^rd of April. It will discuss healthy nutrition for children; effectiveness, availability and aacesibility of medicines, and the future of community-based healthcare. It will take place amidst a protest by GPs and health inspectors.

Health inspectors are dissatisfied that the promised pay rise of 18% from March has not happened. Instead, wages have increased by 5 to 10% and their wages are close to the minimum wage in the country.

GPs demand reduction of administrative activities. They insist that all persons exmpt from cosumer fee pay it and that money be reimbursed to them by the relevant institutions. Another demand is to drop the out-of-hour services for the GPs.

This is not the first protest by GPs. On 1^st of March, they expressed their demands but have not received a reply.