The Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at the “Bratan Shukerov” Hospital - Smolyan is facing a real danger of being left without nurses as early as October 5. The MP from “Vazrazhdane” Angel Georgiev has warned about the critical situation.
With a required staff of 17 nurses, only nine are currently working in the department. Five of them are retired. All nine have submitted one-month notices of resignation.
„On October 4, these nine nurses may still be at work. On October 5, there may not be a single one. And without the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, the normal functioning of the hospital is in question“, said Georgiev.
The reasons are a severe staff shortage, a huge workload and salaries below 1,000 euros for work on which human lives directly depend. According to the data available to the MP, similar positions in Smolyan are offered around 1,300 euros - a difference of approximately 300-350 euros.
The nurses in the department work between 60 and 100 hours of overtime per month.
“These people literally live in the hospital. They work in one of the most difficult and responsible departments, and their remuneration does not correspond to either the qualifications or the responsibility they bear“, Georgiev is categorical.
According to him, seconding staff from other departments is not a realistic solution. The work in the intensive care unit is specific, and the training of a specialist who can fully perform his duties there takes at least six months.
„We should not play Russian roulette with human life. Currently, the residents of Smolyan and the region are facing exactly such a risk. No one can guarantee how people who have never worked in this unit will cope if the experienced nurses leave.“
Angel Georgiev has notified the Ministry of Health and submitted a question for parliamentary control. He insists on immediate intervention by both the state and the management of the medical institution.
„The problem can no longer be swept under the carpet. When you govern, you cannot only justify yourself with previous administrations. You must take quick, adequate and decisive action. In Smolyan, the deadline is already measured in days.“
According to Georgiev, one of the possible emergency measures is to direct part of the funds for the eight vacant positions to the salaries of the nine nurses who still work in the department.
He emphasized that the crisis in Smolyan is not an isolated case, but a symptom of a systemic problem in Bulgarian healthcare. “Vazrazhdane“ has introduced a bill proposing that the salaries of young doctors and nurses be 140% of the average gross salary.
“It is not normal for the people to whom we entrust our lives to receive lower remuneration for activities with much less responsibility. Each of us could end up in an intensive care unit tomorrow. Then we will no longer talk about staff numbers and budgets, but about human lives.“
Georgiev described the accumulated personnel problems in healthcare as a “time bomb“.
“This bomb can explode in different places in the country. However, in Smolyan we already know the date on which the situation can become critical - October 5. The state has no right to wait until then.“
The people's representative insisted that the Ministry of Health and the management of the “Bratan Shukerov“ Hospital take immediate action to preserve the team and prevent interruption of the work of a key department for the hospital.