Mold on the walls, falling plaster, moisture in the premises and dangerous conditions for patients were found by the Ombudsman as a National Preventive Mechanism during a surprise inspection at the State Psychiatric Hospital in Sevlievo.
The inspection revealed gross violations, poor-quality repairs and suspicions of unjustified spending of public funds. On May 11, 2026, a team of the National Preventive Mechanism to the Ombudsman carried out a surprise inspection at the DPB - Sevlievo for the purpose of subsequent monitoring of the implementation of previous recommendations of the Ombudsman. Already in 2025, the public defender's team established that the renovation in the medical facility was being carried out formally, with poor quality and serious delays.
It was found that renovation works for over 1.4 million leva under the Recovery and Sustainability Plan (RSP) were carried out with extremely poor quality - falling plaster, mold and moisture in the premises, dangerously installed suspended ceilings, uneven flooring, hanging cables and unfinished work.
In addition, despite the repeated recommendations of the Ombudsman, the hospital still does not have a fire alarm system, as well as an elevator for patients with limited mobility. The inspection also found serious suspicions of duplication and overestimation of costs for construction and installation activities, including activities that were already included in the initial contract or, according to the hospital management, were not carried out at all.
Due to the violations found, the Ombudsman notified the District Prosecutor's Office - Gabrovo, the Ministry of Finance, the National Audit Office and the State Financial Inspection Agency with a request for a full inspection of the repairs, the quality of implementation and the spending of public funds.
"It is unacceptable to use public funds to carry out poor-quality repairs in medical institutions that accommodate some of the most vulnerable people in society. It is even more worrying when there is data on activities that have not been completed, and payment is claimed for them“, Velislava Delcheva is categorical.
Recommendations have been made to the Minister of Health to clarify the reasons for the lack of control over the implementation of the
repair, for the delay in construction and installation activities, as well as for the failure to implement key safety measures, including the construction of a fire alarm system and an elevator.