No matter what they say on the state of Sofia’s ER, it is clear that the problems there cannot be postponed anymore, just like the ones across the entire healthcare system. The latest case with photographer Elizabeth Nikolova, who passed away due to the ER’s delay, raised the issue once again. No matter the accusations, thrown at the ER teams, nobody can cover a city of 2 mln. with 10 – 11 ambulances. This means a vehicle per 200,000 people. According to the European criteria their number should exceed 50 for a city of that size. At the same time it is inadmissible this front line of medical assistance to register job vacancies due to low wages. The tension within the ER and the mass resignations, supporting the fired director Dr. Georgi Gelev, combined with the firm decision the interim director Alexandar Zlatanov not to be allowed to take the position mean that the medics won’t reconcile themselves anymore to the alarming situation. Minister of Healthcare Tanya Andreeva now faces two demands: on higher salaries and on the reinstatement of Dr. Gelev. The Association of ER across the whole country also offers concrete legislative changes, concerning the work of medical teams. For instance, ER cases to be précised and selected before the sending of an ambulance. It is no secret that people with a bit higher blood pressure reach for the phone sometimes, or when a drunken man has fallen in the street.

“We cannot raise salaries in the middle of the budget year,” the healthcare minister answers. The medics insist on wages to the tune of EUR 750. The final decision on the money will be taken by the finance ministry. At the same time, let’s recall a fact: if political parties had coalesced around the idea for a 50 percent cut of state subsidies for parties with more than 1 percent of votes received – that could have been, for instance, the source of the ER funding now. Perhaps the money would be enough for a raise of the salaries too. However, the parliament voted a decrease of the state subsidy with the ridiculous EUR 0.5 only. This means parties will receive not EUR 6 per voter, but EUR 5.5. The average subsidy in Europe is EUR 3.5 per vote. This is an absurd situation in these times of crisis and in the poorest EU member-state. In the meantime ER salaries’ issues raise questions that concern the greatest part of the population. Who benefits from a seemingly controlled poverty of a part of the population? This situation makes lots of Bulgarians and especially university graduates look for jobs and a higher standard of living in other countries. At the same time Bulgaria lacks doctors, anesthetists, nurses, engineers… If one says: “That is what this country’s budget and business are capable of!” – it is a seriously doubtful sentence…

The additional several teams sent from Pirogov and the Military Medical Academy provide a temporary solution for the moment. The return of the old 150 phone is also considered, now replaced by the common European 112. This will allegedly save time for reaction of the medical units, since life can bear no postponing. Neither can death.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev