Bulgarian Clinics to Discharge Mental Patients over Lack of Funds

Bulgaria's speciailized health clinics are facing bankruptcies, according to their managers. Photo by BGNES

Specialized Bulgarian clinics might have to start setting free mental patients and drug addicts over their lack of money.

This was announced by the managers of the clinics at a special press conference on Sunday. The doctors complained that the budget of the 12 psychiatric clinics in the country had been reduced by 25-30% in 2009 compared to 2008.

The total debts of the clinics which have about 3 000 beds amount to BGN 1,8 M.

Professor Vihra Milanova, a consultant at the Health Ministry, said the lack of funds would lead to shorter treatment of patients and treating them with cheaper and less efficient medicines.

In her words, this would lead to court-ordered re-hospitalization of those patients within several months, which would be even more expenstive.

In addition to the lack of money, the shortage of doctors and qualified medical and service staff.

“At the current stage, it is about our survival, especially in the winter, since we are actually heading for bankruptcy,” said Dr. Tsvetislava Galabova, Chief of the State Psychiatry Hospital in Novi Iskar.

Galabova said her clinic owned BGN 100 000 to providers, and it would have to shut down and release 200 mental patients if they demanded their money.

In her words, the state budget allocated only BGN 4 per mental patient which was totally insufficient.

Professor Sonya Toteva from the State Specialized Hospital for Treating Drug Abuse and Alcoholism said her clinic might have to release 300 drug addicts into the streets because of its debts. In her words, the fact that

Dr. Lyubomir Zhivkov from the District Psychiatric Hospital said only 30-40% of the people with depression in Bulgaria seek medical assistance.

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