site.btaUPDATED Pirogov Hospital to Sue Health Minister for Discrediting

The Pirogov emergency hospital will seek a collective action against the Health Minister for offensive language and discrediting, said dismissed director Valentin Dimitrov. 

The money will be donated for child healthcare. For his part, Dimitrov said that he will file a personal claim against the Minister for discrediting and libel in connection with his media appearances. Dimitrov did not say what specific language the Health Minister had used.

Dr Petar Atanassov, head of the Internal Diseases Department, said that for years Pirogov has insisted for a change in its statute as a commercial entity. He added that the hospital receives money only from clinical pathways which are underfinanced. He urged that the statute of the hospital is changed promptly.

Dimitrov said that in his capacity as Pirogov director he has petitioned every health minister for a change in the statute.

Since the start of 2023, the Pirogov emergency hospital has been in the profit, Dimitrov told journalists.

Dimitrov reiterated that he has nothing to do with the loan taken by the hospital. According to him, in June the hospital was at a profit of BGN 307,000 and by October 31 the profit was BGN 1.122 million. According to Dimitrov, the loss of BGN 31 million, mentioned by Health Minister Hristo Hinkov, has not been accumulated under his management but in the past 23 years. The additional BGN 6.5 million were from 2022, he added.

According to Dimitrov there are two risks – of insinuations that the hospital is bankrupt and that the 2,500 staff won’t receive their salaries and patients’ concerns that they will not receive adequate care.

Dimitrov has sent letters to the ministers if health and finances, Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov and the Public Financial Inspection Agency asking for an independent and fair assessment of Pirogov’s financial situation, which was carried out by the internal audit unit with the Health Ministry. According to Dimitrov, the audit has discrepancies with facts and is incomplete.

Dimitrov said that he has been pressured consistently.