site.btaParliament Debates Health Reform Highlights

Parliament Debates Health Reform Highlights

Sofia, September 9 (BTA) - Parliament is holding second-reading
debates Wednesday on revisions to the  Medical Treatment
Establishments Act which are the highlight of a health reform
package put forward by Health Minister Peter Moskov.

Addressing the debating chamber ahead of the debate, Moskov
reiterated the three key goals of the proposed revisions: to end
 "the indiscriminate swarming of hospitals", to use his words,
which has caused grave imbalances in the health care system; to
make sure the National Health Insurance Fund makes the patient
its priority instead of catering to hospitals' business plans;
and reducing hospitals' costs through cooperation among them. He
 said that this cooperation will not entail forcible mergers of
hospitals.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has promised to ensure support
from the majority in the debating chamber.

The Minister called on the deputies to look at the essence of
the revisions.

He thanked the representatives of the ruling majority for the
votes he expects to get from them and said he still cannot
understand why the Socialists and the Movement for Rights and
Freedoms reject a vast part of his ideas.

"The quality of health care is measured by the health of the
nation, and this is worsening in Bulgaria, not getting any
better," said the Minister. He added that Bulgarian people are
looking much forward to these changes.