There is a timelessness on the political scene and an absolute abdication of the actual implementation of policies, and not only in the field of health care, but in most fields. The advantage of the Ministry of Health's special team at the moment is that it is more expert and performs certain actions in a qualitative manner. This is what the health economist Arkadi Sharkov said in the studio of "The Day ON AIR".
As an example, he gave that from September 1 we will check our patient file via mobile phone and without an electronic signature.
"As for the bigger picture - the team is temporary and it is not known whether everything that has been promised will be fulfilled. The strategies are voluntary documents, there is nothing binding in them. The only mandatory thing is what is written in the law. The question is who will perform how," added Sharkov for Bulgaria ON AIR.
He thinks the nurses' pay increase is in the right direction, but it seems a little pre-election.
"The other case study is the money and the possibilities of each nurse to operate as such in the EU countries. The export of medical personnel is also in this direction. Nurses from Germany go to the US. So this case is not solved. It concerns short-term measures to ensure their financial security. This is the desire of the association itself - roughly speaking, about BGN 2,000 starting salary", the health economist emphasized.
According to him, nurses have both a physical and a huge emotional burden.
"Those who are nearing the end of their active working career may prefer to move into outpatient care by opening their own practice. Yes, this will lead to a shortage in medical facilities. In this direction, the policy should also be reviewed", comments Sharkov.
When asked if the idea of medical specialists studying one year less is good, he replied: "It is not a good idea because they have to perform an extremely large number of functions that cannot be covered in 3 years".
He recalled that from the latest report of the NHIF it became clear that a deficit of BGN 84 million is expected at the end of the year.
"There is a reserve that the Health Fund can use. At the moment, the situation is not so red, but an economic uncertainty is looming, which could translate into the inability of the NHIF to pay its contractual partners", added Arkady Sharkov.