Behind the scandals with illegal hospices, which have become known as “houses of horrors“, there is a deep social and medical problem that is still going to get worse. This was stated in the studio of “Wake up“ by Prof. Nikolay Gabrovski, head of the Neurosurgery Clinic and deputy director of the “N. I. Pirogov“ University Hospital and Medical Center. According to him, the aging population, mass emigration and the catastrophic shortage of medical personnel are creating a “abyss“in which more and more elderly and sick people are falling.
“This is a very serious problem that has a very serious social side. Unfortunately, it is still going to get worse“, commented Prof. Gabrovski on the revelations of illegal hospices with inhumane conditions. He explained that the demographic crisis and emigration have created a situation in which a huge number of elderly people are left without loved ones to take care of them.
“In the 1990s, people from my generation migrated en masse. Currently, their parents are around 80 years old. You understand that up to a certain period, it is enough to send a little money, but as people get older, they need other care - medical, they stop being independent. And here a gap arises“, explained the neurosurgeon. He added that often in “Pirogov“ they are faced with the drama of patients who, after treatment, have no one to look after them. “Tragically often. This is a dramatic problem“, admitted Prof. Gabrovski.
According to him, the root of the crisis is the catastrophic shortage of nurses and healthcare specialists. “There are about 23,000 doctors in Bulgaria, and by the standards of the civilized world, the number of nurses should be 2-3 times greater. That is, we should have a minimum of 66,000 nurses. And we have 23,000“, he commented.
Prof. Gabrovski emphasized that this problem is not “eternal“, but has been clearly defined for 20 years, but nothing substantial is being done to solve it. “This is already beyond the point after which things can be corrected with light measures and talk. The problem is getting worse and worse, and there is a direct threat to the normal functioning of the system," he said.
He supported the protests of medical specialists, stating that the work of doctors is impossible without them. According to him, however, even if salaries were to rise dramatically, this would not solve the problem, since there are not enough staff, and training new ones takes years.
Prof. Gabrovski also commented on the topic of incidents with scooters, which he called "the new hooligans on the road". He expressed the opinion that their complete ban is a last resort, but stricter regulation is needed, including a nighttime restriction and raising the driving age from 14 to 16 years, as well as more effective control.