The PP-DB demands an extraordinary meeting of the health committee as early as next week due to the salaries of health specialists.
Deputy Vasil Pandov said that the ruling party is deliberately delaying the consideration of the bill to increase the salaries of these specialists so that funds are not included in the 2026 budget.
He emphasized that over 200 million leva of the needed money is for nurses and midwives.
"This week, the Health Committee was supposed to have a meeting first, which would consider the bills on second reading, but the meeting was canceled because at the same time the plenary hall was considering other social packages - for military personnel. There is nothing wrong with having social packages for military personnel, but it is cynical when you consider some and do nothing for others.
After that, the so-called "working group" meeting was supposed to take place today. Its meeting was canceled for the fifth month, even from May. The protesting medical specialists are, so to speak, sent for green caviar. "It will happen, but another time", commented Vasil Pandov.
We will again submit a request today for an extraordinary health care committee to meet next week and consider the law on increasing the remuneration of medical specialists. This was said on the sidelines of parliament by Vasil Pandov from "We continue the change".
According to Pandov, the ruling party is delaying the consideration of the law related to doctors with procedural tricks, because the deadline for submitting the state budget and the budget of the Health Fund is approaching. If the bill is not considered in second reading by October 20, the chance that the state budget will be in line with these salaries is very small, he added, emphasizing that this concerns both doctors and nurses.
“The Ministry of Finance does not provide funds for increases“, added the MP. According to him, two and a half percent of the Health Fund budget is needed to achieve the salaries that the doctors want. The main part of the 240 million we think is needed is for nurses, he added.
According to him, although there is a strategy for increasing their salaries, adopted by the government, the state is doing nothing in this direction. We will continue to submit a request for an extraordinary committee every week until October 30, so that there is a minimal chance, the MP emphasized.
This week, there was supposed to be a meeting of the Health Committee, which would consider the bills on second reading, but the meeting was canceled, Pandov recalled. The MP added that today there was supposed to be a meeting of a working group to listen to expert opinions, but it was also canceled.
For another week, the protesting young doctors and nurses lied that something would happen with their demands for a salary increase, he added.
Earlier this week, young doctors protested again, demanding decent salaries - they want the salary of a doctor without a specialty to be 150% of the average salary for the country.