Bulgaria's Healthcare Money to Run Out September- Medical Union

Tsvetan Raychinov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Medical Association, believes a budget update is an urgent priority for the healthcare sector. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarian healthcare faces shortage of funding from September, Tsvetan Raychinov, head of the Bulgarian Medical Association, has warned.

He told the Bulgarian National Radio that the sector is heading for a dire financial situation unless the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) is revised.

Raychinov's calls for update also echo those of NZOK chairperson Rumyana Todorova, who issued the same warning earlier this week.

Since Tuesday Bulgarian doctors have been demanding talks with Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, Finance Minister Petar Chobanov and lawmakers from all parliamentary parlies to discuss what they describe as "financial instability" in the healthcare system.

The medical union insists changes should be undertaken by the Parliament still in office.

It says new money should be reallocated in a matter of weeks, as Bulgaria's legislative body has little until the end of his term with early elections looming this autumn.

NZOK is currently running a BGN 400 M (EUR 200 M) deficit. It failed to meet the deadline it had until June 15 to prepare a report on its budgetary situation.

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