An insider has reported fictitious hospitalizations at the rheumatology clinic of the Plovdiv hospital "St. George". According to him, the beds were filled with patients who did not need a real hospital stay, while other patients were waiting for admission.
The clinic has 49 beds. According to the insider, the goal was to have all of them occupied in order to meet a monthly "target" for transferred patients.
„There were patients who needed to be admitted, but due to the fact that these beds were full, they could not be admitted“, he told bTV.He also claims that each month the hospital set a limit for the clinic's activities. According to him, more transferred patients meant higher income, intended for consumables, utility bills, salaries and bonuses.
Bonus on a point system
According to the insider, the additional funds were distributed on a point system, which was determined by the head of the clinic and signed by five other people.
„The percentage is not large. But it exists and it is distributed to our people – those who did what she said,“ he claims.The insider states that doctors who did not want to participate in fictitious hospitalizations did not receive a sufficient number of beds. These claims have not been confirmed by an independent review, and the investigation into the case is ongoing.
Attorney Maria Petrova, a specialist in medical law, commented to bTV that the financing model creates a dependence on the number of patients who have passed.
“Our health system is aimed at hospitals generating income through patient turnover. Roughly speaking, patient flow“, Petrova states.The hospital denies having a mandatory target
In a statement to bTV, the hospital management states that it is not familiar with such practices and denies that there are rules for mandatory filling of beds or for a certain number of admitted patients.
“In the medical institution, there is no concept of “target“ and there are no such rules or requirements - neither for filling of beds, nor for the number of admitted patients“, the statement says.
The hospital specifies that a projected budget for the clinic is prepared every month within the framework of financing from the National Health Insurance Fund. According to the management, the estimated values are only for current monitoring and cannot be a reason for refusing medical care.
The case remains the subject of ongoing investigation.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg