Bulgaria: Pandemic Limits Access to Treatment for Cardio Patients

The pandemic has made it difficult to access treatment for patients with stroke and cardiovascular problems that can lead to a heart attack. The activity of hospitals in these two areas has decreased by nearly a fifth, according to the data of the health insurance fund for the past year, which Hospital Index analyzes.

The activity of the 58 medical institutions performing invasive cardio surgery in Bulgaria has shrunk by nearly 18 percent. A total of 64,327 diagnostic and treatment procedures were carried out last year vs 78,585 the previous year. However, the downgrade is different in both fields.

Diagnostic interventions are fewer by 25% or by 10,283 surgeries, while in therapy the decline was only 10.5% or 3,975 cases. There are also fewer patients who have been put on a pacemaker. Last year the number was 3,599 and was less than 21% compared to the previous year.

However, access to medical care in invasive cardiology wards was most limited at the beginning of the pandemic, the analysis of the Hospital Index shows.

Apart from the decrease in the volume of activity, there have been no other significant changes in this branch of medicine in the past year. The number of medical institutions where heart surgeries are carried out is unchanged – there are 58 clinics across the country, the majority of them (13), are concentrated in the capital.

Most of the invasive cardiology operations took place in private clinics, the data showed.

Last year there was also an increase in procedures in which pathological symptoms were found (that is, the patient needed treatment) – they were more than 10%, their share reaching over 80% of all surgeries. The percentage of the most urgent interventions increased marginally to 24%.

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