Fewer and fewer young doctors are going abroad to practice, BNT reported.
According to the Association of Young Doctors in Burgas, one of the reasons is an ordinance from 9 years ago that facilitates specializations. There are nearly 30,000 doctors in Bulgaria and compared to the population, this is a better ratio than the European one. However, there is a problem with the shortage of nurses, which has been deepening over the years.
Dr. Vesela Alexandrova is a specialist in pediatrics in Burgas. He finished his education at the Medical University in Plovdiv, but chose to stay in Bulgaria to treat children.
"And I am privileged to have received my education here. Already at the Medical University, we even had a huge number of foreign students who studied with us with the latest study materials, with simulation centers," stated Dr. Vesela Alexandrova, specialist in pediatrics.
Among the reasons why young doctors prefer Bulgaria is the regulation changed in 2015, which allows them to acquire a specialty for free, for which it was previously paid for, and annually around 600 young doctors preferred to practice abroad. Today that number is 300.
"The care that a patient will receive abroad will also be received in Bulgaria. These are highly qualified doctors who work with great enthusiasm in their profession," added Dr. Stamen Pishev, cardiologist and chairman of the "Young Doctors" Association.
There is a particularly large shortage of nurses in our country, with an average of less than one nurse per doctor.
Elena has been working for 27 years as a nurse in Burgas and often works overtime.
"There isn't a colleague who hasn't had to, and this is one of the factors that leads to burnout of nurses. In municipal hospitals and counseling centers, 99% of nurses are of retirement age," commented nurse Elena Ivanova.
"We have 700 graduates a year. Of these 700, only one-third join our health system, 1/3 go abroad and one-third do not practice this profession at all", commented Dr. Diyan Gospodinov, co-founder of the Association of Young Doctors in Burgas.
"This profession is worked with heart. Working conditions, low pay, overtime and lack of recognition are a big problem that has led to a shortage of nurses," Elena Ivanova also said.
The Association of Young Doctors predicts that the nursing shortage problem will continue to worsen.