A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed at the National Press Club of BTA by the Bulgarian Union of Medical Assistants and Paramedics (BSLAF) and the University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment (UMHAT) ‘St. Ekaterina’. The document was signed by the Executive Director of the medical institution Prof. Dr. Dimitar Petkov D.Sc. and the Chairman of the Management Board of BSAF Alexander Alexandrov.

With the Memorandum, both parties declare their desire to build a sustainable framework of partnership and cooperation aimed at developing human resources in healthcare, promoting postgraduate and continuing education, the implementation of good medical practices, as well as the implementation of joint initiatives for the benefit of patients and society.

The idea is to be able to benefit from our cooperation in the management of human resources, explained Dimitar Dimitrov, Head of the Registry and Public Relations Department at the University Hospital ‘St. Catherine’. After an analysis in St. Ekaterina’ found that they could bring something new to the organisation, administration of human resources for the benefit of patients. At the same time, the trend in the development of healthcare staff is worrying, we are trying to be able to cope together, Dimitrov added.

We are not just signing a document, but we are laying a solid foundation for a long-term partnership that will be aimed at developing human resources in medicine, promoting postgraduate and continuing education, as well as the implementation of good medical practices in everyday life, commented Prof. Dr. Dimitar Petkov. He recalled that one of the main problems is the shortage of qualified medical staff, so the hospital declares its clear will to fill this deficit by training new staff.

In "St. Ekaterina" has three training rooms, monthly, in order not to disturb the balance of the work of the hospital, can be trained between five-10 people. Currently, the hospital has an acute need for perfusionists (people who take care of the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery), the Executive Director emphasized.

Alexander Alexandrov, Chairman of BULFA, said that with the signing of this document the ambition of the professional organization is to start training more such staff in the Bulgarian educational institutions so that there is a resource to support the Bulgarian healthcare. We show that when stakeholders work in one direction, in the mutual interest and in the interest of patients, things work out, Alexandrov said. Medical assistants are currently trained at seven universities in Bulgaria and can take part in all areas of healthcare in Bulgaria, added the Chairperson. We are categorical that united together and respecting the place, qualification, responsibility of every medical professional, we could do so so that we can quickly solve the problem of personnel deficit, from which the Bulgarian patient is a winner, said Alexandrov.

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