Health Minister Urges Bulgarians to Attend Yearly Check-Ups

Nanev also concentrated on yearly health check-ups for all Bulgarians over 18 years of age, he said that legal sanctions should be introduced for people who fail to attend their free check-up. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgaria Health Minister, Bozhidar Nanev, has confirmed that everyone who travels abroad must carry their European Health Insurance Card and called for changes in the law to stop people leaving the country if they do not.

The Health Ministry said Tuesday that from April 1, 2010 it will be absolutely essential for all Bulgarians to hold the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to travel to other EU countries as well as Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Nanev stated that his Ministry is pushing for all customs points to check fro both the passport and the EHIC, and also said that although it is currently illegal to turn people back from the border if they fail to show the EHIC he will look to change this legislation.

Nanev also concentrated on yearly health check-ups for all Bulgarians over 18 years of age, he said that legal sanctions should be introduced for people who fail to attend their free check-up.

He concluded that there is no limit to free medicines and that hospitals will not be closed; “the aim is not to save money, but to be redistribute it … and not to waste resources.”

Regarding allegations over conflict of interests, made by opposition parties, regarding a trip to the US that Nanev and the Bulgarian parliamentary health commission Chairman, Lachezar Ivanov, made at the expense of two NGOs on November 22 2009, Nanev stated that some people want to get rid of him as his healthcare reform proposals affect them badly.

He added that the trip had been at the invitation of the US State Department and the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington and that everything had been legally cleared before the trip regarding conflict of interests or any other problems.

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