Charged Head of Bulgaria National Health Fund Resigns

The allegedly corrupt Bulgaria's head of the National Head Insurance Fund steps down. Photo by monitor.bg

The head of the Bulgarian National Health Insurance Fund Zheni Nacheva has submitted her resignation.

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov himself has demanded that Nacheva resigns, announcing that her successor as head of the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) will also “be a woman”.

Borisov explained on Wednesday that the government will table the nomination to the parliament following the approval of the new health minister.

A day before the resignation was announced, the Sofia City Court removed from office the head of NZOK over alleged abuse of power.

Nacheva has been accused of unlawfully increasing the budgets of three medical establishments throughout the country.

She is said to have alloted an additional BGN 800 000 to the hospital in the Bulgarian city of Sliven and about BGN 840 000 to two hospitals in Sofia – Tokuda hospital and the Military Medical Academy (VMA).

Nacheva has responded to the charges, saying she has done nothing illegal as all alloted funds have been entered in the electronic system of the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) and have been revised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health.

Apart from Nacheva, two other former high-ranking officials also face charges over corruption in the health sector – ex Deputy Health Minister Emil Rainov and the former head of the Stanishev Cabinet, Veladin Bitolksi are currently investigated on bribery charges.

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