Bulgarian Doctors to Stage Nationwide Protests

Doctors from all over the country are staging a protest Thursday afternoon against the policy of Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Photo by BGNES

Doctors from all over the country are staging a protest Thursday afternoon against the policy of Bulgaria's National Health Insurance Fund, saying that it has led to restricted access to medical help.

The protesters will call for the resignation of the NHIF head, Plamen Tsekov, and for an abolition of the new methodology for financing healthcare institutions introduced in early 2013.

The Bulgarian Doctors Union (BDU), which has initiated the protest, has called on all citizens who feel that their interests have been neglected or injured by the healthcare system to back the rally.

The BDU, as cited by Darik radio, claims that the new methodology injures the interests of patients, doctors, specialists, general practitioners, and hospitals.

Several days ago, the Association of Private Hospitals in Bulgaria announced that they would back the protest, suggesting that the new methodology exposed private healthcare institutions to risk of bankruptcy.

The protest in Sofia has been scheduled for 4 pm on Thursday in front of the NHIF office.

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