Without significant changes in the healthcare budget and without an increase in funding for pediatric care, the system will continue to operate next year. He stated this in the studio of "The Day Begins" on BNT Dr. Blagomir Zdravkov, director of the Specialized Hospital for Active Treatment of Children's Diseases in Sofia, on the state of children's healthcare in our country.
In the words of Dr. Zdravkov, increasing the health contribution or the budget in itself does not guarantee better quality medical care:
"Pouring more funds into a system without reforms, without quality assessment and without patient safety criteria does not lead to a better outcome for patients."
He emphasized that the financing of pediatric clinical pathways will not be increased, and the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund remains without significant changes. Funds for children's healthcare are part of the general budget of the National Health Insurance Fund and, according to various estimates, are below 10% of total healthcare expenditures.
"There are one or two state programs, but the funding remains extremely insufficient", commented the director of the capital's pediatrics.
Dr. Zdravkov gave a specific example of the disease Guillain-Barré syndrome, in which treatment often requires medications whose cost exceeds many times the cost of the clinical pathway:
"One of the main drugs for treatment costs three times more than the amount that the health insurance fund pays for the entire treatment."
According to Dr. Zdravkov, the lack of real results shows that children's healthcare is not among the leading state priorities:
"When one area is a priority, this is evident in the changes implemented. There is progress at the micro level, but the global picture has not changed."
He recalled that despite ready-made projects for the renovation of the intensive care unit and for a national center for training children with diabetes, funding for them has not been provided.
In response to the protests of the young doctors, Dr. Zdravkov indicated that a sustainable solution had been found in the hospital he leads:
"This is the only state hospital that has paid 13 salaries to all employees."
The starting salary of a young pediatrician at the hospital is 2,500 leva, and with on-call work and additional remuneration, residents receive between 3,000 and 4,000 leva.
The hospital also implements international training programs, including joint initiatives with American specialists and the Bulgarian Medical Association. union.
"We are sending our doctors for short-term training in one of the best children's hospitals in Barcelona, in order to improve the quality of pediatric care in our country", explained Dr. Zdravkov.
On the topic of the National Children's Hospital, the director of the capital's pediatrics was categorical:
"If you go to the field, you will see that practically nothing is happening."
He recalled that the Public Council on the project submitted a collective resignation due to "incompetent and non-transparent management" of the process.