The KNSB does not agree with the idea of the Ministry of Health - that the basic salaries of doctors, nurses and orderlies should be reserved for another year. The Ministry of Health proposes that the minimum thresholds of BGN 2,000 for a doctor, BGN 1,500 for a nurse and BGN 910 for an orderly remain in effect for another year.
"The way things are put, they are not correct. I understand why the problem is escalating now - we are in a pre-election situation and now is the time for very serious populism. Salaries are a very fertile topic for this thing. There is no normal director of a municipal or state hospital who does not want to give bigger salaries to his subordinates. I don't know about private ones, there may be such a phenomenon. Speaking of salaries, we must say that they have two parts - one part is the basic salary, which is received by slip every month, said the former Minister of Health Dr. Stefan Konstantinov in the studio of "The Day ON" AIR".
He clarified that the other part is the one given as supplements.
"People care about gross pay, it's what feeds their families, it's what goes into their bank accounts. I chose a nice state hospital to give an example of what salaries are like in it - for a clinic, the basic salary is BGN 2,300, the average gross salary they receive is BGN 10,690. A doctor with one specialty receives a basic salary of BGN 2,200, but in reality, his gross salary is BGN 6,900," added Dr. Konstantinov for Bulgaria ON AIR.
It is clear from his words that the basic salary of nurses is BGN 2,000, but they receive BGN 4,000.
"But not all hospitals are like that. The problem is the competition between the medical facilities. There are an awful lot of hospitals in Bulgaria and to date the occupied beds are 48% - more than half of the beds are empty. Hospitals are able to compete and seek patients. The difference between basic and gross salary is due to this. When choosing a team, part of the amount is paid directly to the doctor," the former health minister also commented.
He is of the opinion that the rich hospitals are in several cities - in the capital and several larger cities.
"Municipal hospitals, which are more regional, are poor. And public hospitals in smaller provincial towns are poor. There, this difference between gross and basic remuneration no longer exists. When we tell them that they have to increase salaries, the hospital gets stuck in debt, goes bankrupt, cannot start paying salaries", explained Dr. Stefan Konstantinov.
The guest emphasized that private hospitals do not provide financial information to the Ministry of Health.
"I understand the unions completely - they need to say something to their members. But what do employers say? For some hospitals, we will make management worse because managers are forced to maintain this difference in order to survive in this highly competitive environment. And poor hospitals are forced to do this in order to survive at all. The last Collective Labor Agreement was signed by the traders of medical-sanitary and herbal preparations - an absolute mockery", he said.
Dr. Konstantinov is adamant that if a hospital is going to close, it must be said directly, otherwise it is sadism.
"The big problem that everyone is running away from is why there are so many hospitals in our country. Why do people pay extra? Rules can solve this problem. You want to stand against the financial interests of specific circles in order to protect the public interest," added the former health minister.