Healthcare professionals staged protests in hospitals in Sofia and other cities across the country, demanding that their calls for fair pay be met.
Diana Georgieva, Chair of the Bulgarian Association of Healthcare Professionals, said that pay levels had become “the apple of discord”, triggering the nationwide demonstrations.
She recalled that the initial draft of the healthcare budget had earmarked €260 million for salary increases for medical specialists.
“After that budget fell and the new one was presented, we were completely excluded from funding. This escalated tensions among our colleagues,” Georgieva said.
She noted that a meeting had been held yesterday with the Minister of Health regarding the newly promised €100 million intended solely for healthcare professionals.
“Credit to him for trying to find a solution, but once again there is no fixed mechanism to guarantee that the funds will actually reach the specialists,” Georgieva stressed.
She added that European operational programmes do not adequately address the issue.
“It does not seem right that with a National Health Insurance Fund budget of nearly €5 billion, no funds can be allocated for healthcare professionals, and instead we are expected to rely on such fragmented distributions.”
Georgieva said that today representatives of the association would hold legal and financial consultations to ensure the money reaches every member of the organisation. She clarified that their demand is for a starting salary of €1,550 for every healthcare professional, regardless of workplace – hospitals, emergency centres, or other healthcare facilities.
“We do not agree with the current method of distributing the funds. We are fighting for clarity and for the promised commitments to be fulfilled in real terms,” she added.
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