site.btaWHO: Informal Payments in Bulgaria's Healthcare System Should Be Reduced to 15%

Sofia, April 5 (BTA) - Speaking at a BTA-hosted news conference on the occasion of World Health Day, April 7, Dr Skender Syla, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Head of Country Office Bulgaria, said that informal payments in Bulgaria's healthcare system should be reduced to 15 per cent, as is the goal of the WHO. At present, patients in this country make additional payments with their own resources to the amount of 44.2 per cent, he specified.

He went on to say that in May foreign economists and financial experts will arrive in Bulgaria to carry out an analysis of the healthcare system, provide technical assistance and make recommendations for changes aimed at reducing personal health expenses. Bulgaria should overcome this challenge as well as the high levels of tobacco and alcohol consumption, obesity, and non-communicable diseases, Dr Syla added.

The theme of this year's World Health Day is "Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere", which means that everyone everywhere should be able to use health services without financial difficulties, Dr Syla explained.

Parliamentary Healthcare Committee Chair Daniela Daritkova said that Bulgaria has good healthcare coverage with good quality but there are other factors that influence health, and these require institutions' joint efforts as well as everyone's personal responsibility for their own health.

A new mechanism will be sought for the reduction of the number of persons without health insurance, who the latest data place at slightly over 700,000 persons, Daritkova said, adding that two years ago, following legislative changes aimed at restoring lost healthcare rights, their number stood at around 500,000 persons.

Daritkova suggested that those working at healthcare establishments who are concerned over the new methods for their subsidizing this year, should express their reasoned opinions to the Health Ministry. According to her, the Health Minister's team will take into account what healthcare workers consider as problematic in the new methods.