Bulgarian Doctors Alarmed by Funding Cuts for Cardiac Treatment

Hundreds of Bulgarians are doomed to die of cardiac dysrhythmia because of inadequate state insurance funding, according to cardiologists. Photo by BGNES

Bulgarian cardiologists have slammed the government for drastic cuts of funding for treatment of patients with cardiac dysrhythmia.

According to the doctors, the funding slated for two respective procedures by the National Health Insurance Fund is up to BGN 2 814, which is nowhere near the minimum of BGN 4 000 needed for such interventions.

The doctors pointed out that Bulgaria ranks first in the EU in deaths caused by heart problems, and have slammed the government for threatening the lives of hundreds of people each other in order to save a small sum of money.

The leadership of the union of Bulgarian cardiologists presented data showing that Bulgaria usually had only 300 interventions for cardiac dysrhythmia, while Serbia, a country that is not in the EU, with similar proportions has about 840 per year.

At a news conference on Wednesday the cardiologists also present the stories of two Bulgarian patients with cardiac problems, who "survived" the Bulgarian health care system.

They pointed out that with the meager funding from the National Health Insurance Fund, most Bulgarians have no way of affording to pay the additional sums for cardiac intervention, and are usually doomed to die. 

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