site.btaGovernment Aims to Consolidate Health Care Establishments to Improve Efficiency of Medical Services

Health Minister Hristo Hinkov said here Friday that the government is aiming to consolidate medical establishments in a bid to improve their efficiency. Mentioning one example, he said that two hospitals are about to merge in a National Oncology Centre. Hinkov was speaking at a public forum discussing a National Cancer Plan. He said that he found "a rather fragmented health care system" when he took office.

"We will make an administrative merger of the Cancer Hospital and the National Hospital for Haematologic Diseases but that has turned out to be a rather difficult process," the Minister said. He added that the future structure will also include the National Cancer Register, which will be updated.

Hinkov also said: "Our main task is to overcome the fragmentation of medical services and to link early detection with treatment and follow-up. We are investing a great deal of money in the most up-to-date drugs for the treatment of cancer, but the problem is that early detection is still not at a sufficient level, because this concerns the network of general practitioners, the network of comprehensive cancer centres and the attitude of citizens to routine checkups."

The Minister said further that the markets which will be monitored during routine checkups will be increased so as to improve early detection of cancer.

Taking a question about palliative care for cancer patients, he said that there are hardly any in Bulgaria. "My idea, if I have the capacity and energy for it, is to start gradually restructuring some municipal hospitals into specialized establishments for palliative care, treatment of pain and physical therapy after serious surgery," he added.