At the initiative of the Rector of the Medical University of Pleven, Prof. Dr. Dobromir Dimitrov, in his capacity as Chairman of the Association of Medical Universities in Bulgaria, the first meeting between representatives of the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals (BAHCP), the Bulgarian Association of Assistant Pharmacists (BAPF), the Bulgarian Union of Medical Assistants and Paramedics (BULAF) and of the management and faculties of public health in higher education institutions in the country, as well as the academic staff of the departments that train students in the field of Health Care, was held on 10 March 2025 at the Medical University of Pleven.

The aim of the meeting was to discuss all topical issues related to the reception, training, academic development and professional realization of students in the Health Care strand in order to unite the efforts of all stakeholders in finding workable solutions in the interests of the professions. Emphasis was also placed on the need to increase the prestige and attractiveness among young people of the professions of Medical Assistant, Nurse, Midwife, Assistant Pharmacist, etc.

The Rector of MU-Pleven Prof. Dobromir Dimitrov presented to the participants the chronology of events that led to an escalation of tension in the professional guilds of health professionals. He assured them that the duration of the training would not be reduced at this stage, as the line ministers did not support the proposal for 3+2 years of training for nurses. Prof. Dimitrov proposed to work towards updating the Unified State Requirements and updating the curricula of the health care specialties. In addition, he stressed that not enough is being done to introduce high technologies in the training of healthcare professionals, as is the case for doctors – there is no training through virtual and augmented reality and sufficient simulation training before entering clinical practice.

BSLAF, for its part, presented the opportunities provided by the profession of medical assistant. These medical professionals are second in hierarchy after doctors, they diagnose, treat common diseases and can prescribe medications. It was recalled that even now a large part of the emergency workers are medical assistants and paramedics. According to BSLAF, with the more active integration of medical assistants in the healthcare system, many of the problems with the personnel crisis in outpatient care can be solved in the short term within a few years. In this regard, attention was drawn to the urgent need to increase the number of students in this specialty, especially in Northern Bulgaria. The representatives of BSLAF suggested that the profession of medical assistant should be protected.

BFSA summarized the key factors for satisfaction of health care professionals: respect on the part of society and colleagues, opportunities for professional and academic growth, the definition of a clear program for the formation of a starting salary and a step-by-step increase in wages, the maintenance of a high quality of training, the unification of the criteria for admission of students to the specialties of the Health Care Department in the higher education institutions offering them.

Several problems related to the motivation and realization of assistant pharmacists in Bulgaria, as well as the need to synchronize Bulgarian legislation with European practices and international standards, BAPF presented in turn.

Everyone at the meeting agreed that there are two large groups of sensitive problems on which they can work together to solve them. The first group is the problems in training and the second group is the realization of the professions in practice and the retention of health professionals in Bulgaria.

It was decided to set up a working group within a month, including representatives of BAPZG, BAPF, BSLAF and the Bulgarian Medical Association, representatives of each specialty in the field of health care of higher education institutions, as well as of medical institutions in their capacity as employers. The aim is to develop a unified strategy for the development of health care professions. It is expected that in the middle of the year the working group will submit to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education and Science proposals for changes regarding the university training of health professionals and their implementation in the health care system. Another commitment of the working group is to unite the efforts of stakeholders in the implementation of a nationwide information campaign to promote the meaning, importance and authority of the professions of the Health Care strand, so as to increase the interest of young people in training in these areas.