site.bta Health Ministry: Ever Fewer Bulgarian Doctors, Nurses Seek Jobs Abroad

Health Ministry: Ever Fewer Bulgarian Doctors, Nurses Seek Jobs Abroad

Sofia, January 13 (BTA) - There is a persistent downward trend in the number of Bulgarian doctors and nurses who seek jobs abroad. At the same time, ever more graduate doctors pursue their medical studies for the attainment of specialist qualifications in this country, the Health Ministry said in a press release on Friday.

The Ministry issued 258 certificates to doctors for work in EU Member States in 2016, 364 certificates in 2015, and 414 in 2014. The certificates issued to nurses were 181 in 2016, 291 in 2015, and 345 in 2014.

The press release recalls that the relevant ordinance was amended to create attractive conditions for the professional development of medical specialists, easing access to internship by scrapping payment for internship and making it possible to start an internship at any time during the year, moreover on an employment contract and not on a training contract. For the first time in 2016, interns were acknowledged by the National Health Insurance Fund as partners in their own right in implementing medical care contracts.