Category: The Media About Us

The Rector of MU-Pleven, Prof. Dr. Dobromir Dimitrov, in his capacity as President of the Association of Medical Universities in Bulgaria, initiated the first discussion meeting on 10 March 2025 to discuss the problems in the admission and training of students in the field of health care. Emphasis was also placed on the need to increase the prestige and attractiveness of the professions of nurse, midwife, assistant pharmacist, medical assistant, etc. The meeting was attended by members of the management boards of the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals, the Bulgarian Association of Assistant Pharmacists and the Bulgarian Union of Medical Assistants and Doctors - Milka Vasileva, Chairperson of BAPZG, Lilyana Petrova, Chairperson of BAPF, Alexander Alexandrov, Chairperson of BASLAF, as well as the Chairperson of the Regional Board of BAPZG Nadia Dimitrova and others. On the part of the medical universities, online members of the management and faculties of public health attended or participated in the meeting, as well as members of the academic staff of the departments that train students in the field of health care - Prof. Todorka Kostadinova, Director of the Accreditation, Quality and Project Activity Directorate, Prof. Teodora Dimitrova and Prof. Silvia Borisova, Dean and Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at MU-Varna, Prof. Sonia Toncheva, Deputy Director of the Branch of Shumen at MU-Varna, Prof. Mariela Kamburova and Prof. Makreta Draganova, Deputy Deans of the Faculty of Public Health at MU-Pleven, Prof. Alexandrina Vodenicharova, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at MU-Sofia, Assoc. Dr. Stanislavaza Harinova, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Public Health and Public Health at MU-Sofia. Maria Bozhkova, Director of Medical College at MU-Plovdiv.

The aim of the meeting was to discuss all problems related to the training, academic development and professional realization of health care professionals in order to unite the efforts of stakeholders to find workable solutions and increase the interest of young people in these specialties.

The Rector of MU-Pleven Prof. Dobromir Dimitrov presented to the participants in the meeting the chronology of the events that led to the escalation of tensions in the professional guild 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 undergraduate training for nurses. He proposed to work in the direction of updating the Unified State Requirements and updating the curricula of the specialties of the Health Care Department. In addition, Prof. Dobromir Dimitrov stressed that not enough is being done to introduce high technologies in the training of health professionals, as is the case for doctors - there is no training through virtual and augmented reality, as well as sufficient simulation training before entering clinical practice.

Milka Vassileva, Chairman of BFPA, 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.

Lilyana Petrova, Chairman of BAPF, presented several problems related to the motivation and realization of assistant pharmacists in Bulgaria, as well as the need for synchronization of Bulgarian legislation with European practices and international standards.

Alexander Alexandrov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Medical Association, presented the opportunities offered by the profession of medical assistant. These medical professionals 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 also be protected.

The participants in the meeting agreed on the conclusion that there are two large groups of problems - the first group unites the problems in training and the second - the problems related to the retention of health professionals by employers in Bulgaria. They decided to set up a working group within one month, including representatives from each of the professional organisations present, as well as from the Bulgarian Medical Association, one representative from each specialty in the field of health care of higher education institutions, as well as from university and municipal hospitals as employers. Within two months the working group to come forward with proposals to the line ministries for changes in terms of both university training of health professionals and employers in the healthcare system. Develop a unified strategy for the development of the Health Care strand. In terms of communication, join efforts in a nationwide information campaign that will increase the interest of young people in the professions of health care professionals.

You can read the press release of MU-Pleven on the website of BTA (Official Acts and Communications) via the button below.

BTA

Alexander Alexandrov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BULFA, in front of Stoycho Stoychev, in a Saturday edition of ‘For Health’:

My colleagues and members of our professional organization can successfully perform basic medical activities and work in practices unattractive to doctors - in urgency, in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

This would solve the big problem of access to health care and the existing imbalances.

Alexandrov presented the organization and outlined the most important tasks ahead of it.  Feldshers, who already have the status of medical assistants, are trained to work both on emergencies and to perform the functions of diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

All participation can be listened to via the button below.

BNR

Paramedics ready to get involved as medical professionals in schools

The proposal is based on information about the previous two school years

Against the backdrop of the flu wave and forced holidays, paramedics are ready to help the education system and get involved as medical professionals in the offices in schools. The problem in the system goes back a long time. On the one hand, there is a shortage of nurses to examine children at school, and on the other hand, the current Ordinance 3 limits their opportunities in emergency situations.

The proposal of the paramedics is based on information about the previous two school years, covering the whole country. On an annual basis, about 300 visits are registered in a school with about 1000 students in the health office.

In 1 in 10 cases, the student seeks help because of a wound. Eight times more visits to the office with complaints such as headaches, fever, abdominal pain, rash or insect bites.

The medical specialist does not have the power to act, accordingly, he must call emergency care and parents - in only 1% of all incidents at school.

Just till 3:00 p.m. through the medical office at 107. The Khan Krum Primary School in Sofia has more than 20 pupils. In case of such complaints, Desislava Tsenova calls a parent and a GP and sends the child home. But there is no shortage of more serious situations in which he turns to 112.

“Last week there was a case of a child with a nut allergy. She had eaten a chocolate candy, in which she had, respectively, an allergic reaction. I really have my hands tied and I can't give him medicine because I don't have the right by law, even though I've been trained. I had to call the mother and 112 to do what I could do in three minutes," the doctor said.

The reason – although he is a medical assistant and can work alongside doctors in a hospital, in school he can only be a medical professional, without the right to apply his skills in an emergency situation. Before she was recruited, 107th School was looking for a man for the position for eight months. “We had an associate military doctor re-appointed as a medical specialist. The man was 81 years old. There are no such specialists willing, extremely low pay, humiliating, I would say," said Director Danko Calapis.

The City Council, however, countered. “There is no shortage. The increased salaries start at BGN 1 890 for medical professionals,” said Ivan Vassilev, Deputy Mayor of Sofia responsible for Finance and Health.

But schools with fewer than 800 students, such as the threshold for hiring a full-time health professional, are in a stalemate. There is someone to examine students with complaints only four hours a day or every other day.

The Union of Paramedics offered help. “We already have over 3000 graduates of paramedics in Bulgaria, many of them would be happy to help. They provide sports events in which children participate, provide mass concerts and other cultural events. I do not know that in Bulgaria anyone is better prepared than paramedic for first aid", said the President of the Union of Paramedics in Bulgaria Iva Pehlivanska.

The response in schools: ‘Paramedics in Bulgaria are trained in a course of 900 hours

They can, in case he has a broken leg, immobilize it and transport it to the nearest medical institution. But I do not agree that medical care can be carried out by them,” said Calapis.

"They could replace a completely missing medical person in the school", added the medical assistant by profession Desislava Tsenova.

The position of the Ministry of Health: ‘In order to extend the scope of medical professionals who can examine children at school or to extend their rights to react in an emergency situation, the current Ordinance 3 needs to be revised.’

In a position to NOVA, the ministry said that such changes are already on the agenda, but are being agreed between the institutions and will still be subject to public discussion.

You can watch the NOVA TV report via the button below.

NOVA

Lack of staff and aging staff reported by the Emergency Services Centers

Lack of staff and aging staff are reported by the emergency centers in the country. The vacancies in the emergency centers in all 27 districts are nearly 750, with the most vacancies in emergency services in Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven and Burgas. A crisis with the cadres is also reported in the Center for Emergency Care in Blagoevgrad.

How do they deal with the available footage there?

About 30% are the vacancies in the Center for Emergency Medical Care in Blagoevgrad. Eleven medics are in demand in the whole region, with the largest shortage in the branches in Sandanski, Razlog and the regional center.

Dr Hristo Atanasov – Head of Emergency Branch – Blagoevgrad: Advertisements are constantly given in the relevant places, they are searched for as in the past in our branch in Blagoevgrad, but this shortage of medics is observed, despite the fact that the conditions offered by the emergency centers are quite good.

Dr. Svetlana Kitanova - Medic inCSMP – Blagoevgrad: Everywhere there is a shortage of doctors, nurses, everything. I explain this to myself by the fact that young people are not sufficiently motivated, financially motivated.

51 years is the average age of the personnel in the emergency centers in the region. Most disturbing is the picture of paramedics, where the average age is currently about 60 years old.

Dr Krasimir Mihaylov, Director of the Blagoevgrad Center for the Study of Democracy: "The problem with the cadres is very serious in the CSMP - Blagoevgrad. The problem is the ageing of the staff, especially in the case of paramedics, who have been in the emergency care system for many years. Currently, most of them are in retirement age, and at the moment those who replace them are medical assistants.

A long-term solution to the problem of emergency personnel is not visible at least for the time being.

Dr. Krasimir Mihaylov - Director ofCSMP – Blagoevgrad: Paramedics cannot solve the problem with regard to the personnel in the CSMP system. They can be assistants and help in the work of the teams, but they can not replace either doctors or paramedics.

Another big problem that the medics in Blagoevgrad report are the frequent signals that are not urgently needed. However, the teams are also obliged to provide assistance, as they are sent on alert.

Dr. Svetlana Kitanova - Medic inCSMP – Blagoevgrad: "I give this really as an example, because it is the freshest, for a woman who is presented on the phone as having a heart attack with many diseases and is currently suffering from very severe pain and shortness of breath, and the moment we go. The RE-team goes and the woman with her luggage is waiting for us in front of her home with her son and she just wanted us to take her to the emergency room.

Wage increases and other types of material stimulation. These are the main things that would attract young medics to smaller cities in the country, the medics add.

You can watch the BNT report via the button below.

BNT

Neglected health professions push for new standards

The problems were raised in the years many times, noted Alexander Alexandrov

Representatives of several health professions, including nurses, midwives, rehabilitators, laboratory technicians, medical assistants and assistant pharmacists, advocated clear rules and standards to work on.

These problems have been raised many times over the years. The problems have long been unresolved and now it is high time to pay attention because we are really in a difficult situation in healthcare, in crisis", said the Chairman of the Union of Medical Assistants and Paramedics in Bulgaria Alexander Alexandrov in the studio of "Bulgaria in the Morning".

The main problem is the lack of appropriate rules and standards for nurses, medical assistants and other health professionals to be recognised and regulated. These professionals play a key role in healthcare and are often at the forefront of helping patients.

Aleksandrov pointed out on the air of Bulgaria ON AIR that at the moment a large part of the medical staff does not stay in Bulgaria, and the reasons are not only financial, but also related to the working conditions and the lack of opportunities for professional development.

He stressed that legislation and regulations need to be changed, taking into account the views of these professionals already when creating new rules.

You can watch the video of the whole interview of the Chairman of BULAF via the button below.

Bulgaria On Air

You can read the full interview of the Chairman of BSLAF on the website of Clinica.bg via the button below.

Clinica.bg

Nurses, assistant pharmacists and medical assistants want a meeting with the President of the National Assembly, the President and the Prime Minister

The lack of constructive dialogue with the institutions and audibility for the problems of the medical professions, decision-making without hearing them, the lack of a clear formula for postgraduate studies, the destruction of the professional authority of the medical professions - these are the serious problems accumulated for years faced by several professional guilds. This is what Lilyana Petrova, Chairwoman of the Bulgarian Association of Assistant Pharmacists (BAAPF), warned at a press conference today at a joint press conference with the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals (BAHCP), represented by its Chairwoman Milka Vasileva, and the Bulgarian Union of Medical Assistants and Paramedics (BSLAF), represented by the Chairwoman Alexander Alexandrov.

The press meeting was held under the motto "Together to protect our professions for the health of patients".

The three organizations have recently signed an agreement that unites to protect the professions they represent and express readiness for joint action against isolation, inequality in contacts with institutions and the long-standing lack of adequate and workable solutions in healthcare to solve the personnel crisis, it became clear at the press conference.

“In such an environment, there can be no expectation of those wishing to pursue these professions. Solutions to the alarming trend of the personnel crisis are late, there is a serious legislative vacuum related to the role of the professions in healthcare, "said Lilyana Petrova.

The Chairwoman of BAPZG Milka Vasileva reminded that when the organization was formed in 1993 there were 55 000 nurses in our country and today there are 22 820, and every third is of retirement age, the situation is similar for midwives. According to her, 89% of nurses and midwives suffer from burnout, there is practically no nurse working in only one place, and a deficit in itself is a prerequisite for a deterioration in the quality of medical care.

“In many places, the pay levels provided for in the CLA have not been reached,” Vassileva further said.

Alexander Alexandrov, President of the Bulgarian Medical Association, explained that the profession of ‘medical assistant’ is not even included in the CLA, while at the same time more than 2000 medical assistants and paramedics, as they used to be called, have been working in different units of the system. Six higher medical schools in Bulgaria have been preparing such staff for 7 years, which can be very useful for healthcare. Aleksandrov also confirmed that in most cases, normative acts directly affecting the work of the medical professions are not discussed in advance, and it becomes clear to them much later, when they are already about to be finalized.

According to Lilyana Petrova, it is important to realize that medical professionals are needed in all structures and units of health care, because it is they who provide the necessary health and pharmaceutical care for people, especially in remote regions where the staff deficit is most noticeable.

The three professional organizations have prepared an open letter to the President of the 51st National Assembly Assoc. Natalia Kiselova, President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev. In it, they demand a meeting to discuss the problems of the medical professions and to look for ways out of the severe personnel crisis in healthcare.

"We are convinced that the most valuable thing in healthcare is the staff and we are determined to protect our professions and, in the interests of our patients, together to seek a positive and lasting solution to the crisis," the letter states.

You can find the full text here.

You can read the news on Zdrave.net via the button below.

Zdrave.net

You can read the news in Slinica.bg via the button below.

Clinica.bg

Healthcare professionals, assistant pharmacists and paramedics want rules for their professions

Representatives of several health professions, including nurses, midwives, rehabilitators, lab technicians, medical assistants and assistant pharmacists, announced on Tuesday clear rules and standards to work on. Their professional organizations say they have been neglected so far, but will now lead a "war" to regulate their professions.

Problems go back many years. For more than 15 years, we have been telling the government, the media and the public what will happen in our health system if no action is taken. We wrote a lot of protest statements, letters, contacted the institutions, which treated politely, but unfortunately to no avail. Of the 55,000 nurses in 1993, we now have 22,820 nurses. One in three nurses is of retirement age. One in four midwives is of retirement age. And in the next few years, a third of the sisters will be of retirement age. I think that there is no person who, with these numbers, cannot realize that Bulgarian healthcare is in collapse," said Milka Vasileva, chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals (BAHCP), which brings together 35,000 nurses, midwives, lab technicians, rehabilitators, etc.

She pointed out that working in 2-3 or even 4 places, nurses, midwives and rehabilitators "save the system".

Vassileva announced that already 3 years ago BAPZG offered standards of health care with options for determining the number of nurses, midwives and other health care professionals according to the specifics of the work and the condition of the patients.

"We are fully aware that if these standards are respected, at least half of the hospitals should be gone," Vassileva said. But he added that at the same time, these standards are clearly justified: how the required number of staff has been calculated and this is in line with the international standards of health care and the Bulgarian traditions.

We also offer opportunities to appoint caregivers and health assistants in medical institutions to be trained according to the relevant rules and to assist nurses and work under their supervision. Thus, performing basic patient care, nurses will be relieved of these duties and will work on direct medical activity: performance of medical appointments, monitoring the condition of the patient, "Vassileva said.

This, in her words, will ease the work of the sisters and increase their motivation to stay in Bulgaria. Vassileva pointed out that now 65% of the graduating nurses do not remain in the healthcare system – some go abroad to work and others do not practice the profession after graduating.

Currently, the nurses' overwork is extremely severe, burnout syndrome has covered over 89% by workers and this leads to poor quality health care," Vassileva said. Therefore, the professional organization insists on standards that guarantee quality.

At the moment, many medical institutions still have not reached the minimum basic salary of BGN 1500 for a nurse, enshrined in the last collective agreement. Low pay also pushes young people away from the profession.

The three professional organisations – health care professionals, assistant pharmacists and medical assistants – complained about the lack of constructive dialogue with the institutions and the audibility of their problems, the decision-making about their work without them, the destruction of the professional authority of their professions.

In five years, 221 assistant pharmacists have left the sector. They leave the country and with a diploma in hand go to work in other countries, because they are valued there and from every point of view they see more sense to develop there. This is the real protest against the system, not those of the yellow pavers, which are also important," said Lilyana Petrova, the Bulgarian Association of Assistant Pharmacists (BAPF).

Assistant pharmacists and medical assistants (former paramedics) share the common feeling that society is deliberately setting itself up against their professions, denouncing them as dangerous and unnecessary.

Alexander Alexandrov from the Bulgarian Union of Medical Assistants and Paramedics (BSLAF) pointed out that in their person the state has hidden potential, which, if properly implemented, the future of our health system will be better. Currently, there are about 2,000 medical assistants and paramedics in the country.

However, they work in the absence of clear standards for the profession and rules of good medical practice. "Where standards exist, the functions and activities to be performed shall be clearly identified. When there are no such standards and our professions are neglected by the government, then we give the employer the opportunity to interpret. And now it happens that a doctor's assistant works as a nurse, which is illegal. This is not right, but it is allowed," Alexandrov said.

The three organizations issued an open letter with their requests, which was sent to the National Assembly, the President and the caretaker prime minister, expressing readiness to present them to a new cabinet, if any.

You can read the post in Mediapool.bg via the button below.

Mediapool.bg

Regulate the professions of health care professionals. This was demanded at a press conference by the professional organizations.

We will fight a war for rules for our professions, announced Milka Vasileva, Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals (BAHCP). "By protecting ourselves, we are protecting patients first and foremost," she said. The insistence is that health care professionals as a regulated profession should be able to develop and qualify.

The Chairman of the Bulgarian Union of Medical Assistants and Paramedics (UBLAF) Alexander Alexandrov reported that the medical assistants are well represented and well received. In time, we suffered all sorts of shocks, they tried to close us down, he pointed out. We were hidden from the public, Alexandrov explained. We will defend the idea of the existence of our profession, he threatened. The state has hidden potential in the face of paramedics and medical assistants. Lilyana Petrova, President of the Bulgarian Association of Assistant Pharmacists (BAPF), wants support from the National Assembly (NA) to protect their professional problems. There is no constructive dialogue with the institutions and no audibility of our problems, she stressed. There is no understanding of the postgraduate training of health care professionals, according to her. The staffing problem is at a critical level, in her opinion. Urgent solutions are needed, according to the professional organisations. Decisions are critically delayed, Petrova said. The legislative vacuum in the area is deepening, she added. Many protest letters were written, many declarations were sent, but to no avail.

One in three nurses is of retirement age, one in four midwives is of retirement age. Healthcare is collapsing, Milka Vasileva said. The fact that nurses and rehabilitators work in 2 and 3 places saves the health system. Health care professionals are adamant that health care reform is needed. No health minister has ever dealt with one before. Young people have no motivation to study in our profession, Vassileva said. The starting salary of BGN 1500 has not been reached, as it should be under a collective agreement. About 65% Graduates do not enter the health care system. At the same time, there is a huge gap between young and old cadres, as young people are trained in new models and technologies. The problem is that every hospital has its own rules. Therefore, health care professionals want unified rules of work. The government should finally realize the problems of the sector, according to Milka Vassileva. We want a constructive dialogue, she stressed. They want health care standards.

Recently, health organizations signed an agreement uniting to protect the professions they represent and express readiness for joint action against isolation, inequities in contacts with institutions and the long-standing lack of adequate and workable solutions in healthcare to solve the personnel crisis. They ask why the opinion of the professions is not sought before making management decisions, as well as why medics from the represented professions continue to leave. Conscious organizations are alarmed by the personnel crisis, which is already spreading to large cities, health imbalances are becoming more apparent, but this does not cause an adequate response and measures to be taken to contain them.

You can read the news in News.bg via the button below.

News.bg