Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Bulgarian healthcare faced with shortage of 17,000 nurses

Photo: Archive

The Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals insists that the Bulgarian state should set a minimum number of nurses in each health care facility to ensure quality care for patients. The same proposal applies to midwives, rehabilitation workers, laboratory technicians and other specialists. 

According to a report by the Council for Economic Analysis of the Council of Ministers, there is a shortage of about 17 thousand nurses in Bulgaria, or 60% of the workforce in 2021. Thus, there is less than one nurse per doctor. However, if the normal ratio of 2:1 is to be reached, 29 thousand professionals need to enter the healthcare system. 

Figures from the same year show that 540 students graduate as nurses annually, while those leaving the jobs as nurses number 890. 

On International Nursing Day, the association is proposing that salaries be increased in line with the knowledge, skills and responsibilities in nursing teams to address the staffing crisis.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Hungarian Minister of Interior Sandor Pinter

Romania and Bulgaria have a chance to join Schengen by land as of January 2025

Romania and Bulgaria have a chance to join the Schengen area by land as  of January 2025 , Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pinter said after an informal meeting in Budapest of the interior ministers of Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Austria ...

published on 11/22/24 4:37 PM

Sofia Christmas festival will kick off tonight in front of National Palace of Culture

The Sofia Christmas Festival will open tonight in the park in front of the National Palace of Culture in the heart of Sofia . The third edition of the festival starts at 6.30 pm with a rich program and attractions - а Ferris wheel, a carousel and..

published on 11/22/24 4:24 PM

MPs fail to elect a Speaker of Parliament at fifth attempt

Yet another, already fifth attempt by MPs to elect a Parliamentary Speaker has failed. Four candidates were put to the vote - Natalia Kiselova from BSP-Unified Left, Petar Petrov from Vazrazhdane, Raya Nazaryan from GERB and Silvi Kirilov from ITN...

published on 11/22/24 3:40 PM