The National Council of the Bulgarian Association of Healthcare Professionals appealed to the future MPs during the growing difficulties and trials that they expect urgent measures to overcome the shortage of staff in health care, BNR reported.
National consensus and decisive action are needed to address the critical shortage of nurses, midwives, paramedics, medical assistants, rehabilitators, medical and X-ray technicians.
Urgent and immediate changes in the organization of work, working conditions and the amount of wages are required. They expect the future parliament to:
1. Adoption of a National Strategy for the Development of Health Care in the Republic of Bulgaria with specific deadlines, financial support and responsible institutions.
2. Providing an initial salary for health care specialists in the amount of three minimum salaries.
3. Adoption of standards for each of the specialties in the field of “Health Care”, which should include the required number of medical professionals in relation to the number of patients, as well as the number of children and students in nurseries, kindergartens and schools.
4. Differentiated remuneration, according to the acquired qualification.
5. Mandatory, provided by employers and the state, continuing education and guarantees for career development in the profession.
The organization says that more than 15,000 medical professionals are infected with COVID-19, many colleagues are leaving the system and there is no one to replace them.
And more data from BAPZG: In Bulgaria there are about 23,000 nurses, and our health system needs at least another 35,000. There are about 4,000 midwives in our country, and at least as many more are needed. There is a shortage of paramedics / medical assistants in the teams of the emergency units, in regions with difficult access to medical care and health care. The healthcare system works with an insufficient number of medical and X-ray technicians, and the number of rehabilitators is extremely insufficient for the recovery of patients after the active treatment phase.
