The relatives of the 65 residents of the closed hospice "Tsaritsa Yoanna" near Ruse have criticized the way the authorities conducted the operation. They claim that the conditions in the facility were deplorable and raise the question of whether the state is overdoing its controls after the revelations of inhumane conditions in other hospices.
"When I saw the police, I thought that there had been some kind of mass murder, shootings - like in the movies. But it turned out that the police were guarding the residents so that they would not escape. My mother is in a wheelchair - how will this woman escape?" one of the relatives told BNR.
The hospice in the village of Nikolovo was closed on Saturday by order of the Executive Agency "Medical Supervision" due to the lack of 24-hour medical presence. The residents were taken out with the help of police and Emergency Services to the hospitals "Kanev", "Medica" and the Mental Health Center in Ruse.
The patients' relatives emphasize that, unlike the scandalous cases in the village of Yagoda and Varna, there have never been any problems with care in the hospice "Tsarina Ioanna".
"In these 6 months, I have never once felt that these elderly people were abandoned. We were amazed. You have to go inside, you can see how hygienic the environment is. There is no reason for this home to be closed. I don't see better alternatives" said another twin.
A 94-year-old woman with dementia was placed in a hospice, and her son expressed concern about the future: "My mother is 94 years old with dementia. This is the perfect place for such people. I am alone - should I quit my job?"
The harshest criticism of the authorities' actions was expressed by a relative, who highlighted the contradictions in the policy: "The state forced us to look for options. We found them, but this same state prevents us from continuing to care for our loved one. It does not give you an option, but it also prevents you from finding an option for them. We are satisfied. We have no comments at all."
The director of the RHI-Ruse, Associate Professor Alexander Parashkevov, explained to the Bulgarian National Radio the reasons for the closure: "This is a hospice, it falls under the rubric of 'medical institution'. The requirements there are different - for a medical person, etc. It differs from a nursing home, which is not a medical institution."
He specified that the people are accommodated in three Ruse medical institutions, and their relatives will be able to visit them and discuss their future placement in appropriate social services.