site.btaPM Reiterates Cabinet's Resolve to Work to Handle Demographic Crisis

Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov Monday visited a maternity hospital in the town of Montana in Bulgaria’s – and the EU’s – least developed Northwestern Region, to be there as the hospital discharged its first newborn in 2024. He used the occasion to reiterate the government's resolve to work to handle the demographic crisis as a matter of priority.

The Prime Minister catalogued the measures taken by the government in this department: free daycare, increase of the tax rebates for children; increase by 50% of the one-off maternity allowance and by 100% of the one-off benefit for childbirth, among other opportunities for benefits for child rearing; increased funding for screening for cervical cancer; increased funding for IV treatment.

The Prime Minister congratulated the parents of Montana’s first baby. “All of us know that parenthood is difficult. I wanted to tell you personally that what you do is being appreciated.”

Montana’s first baby is Alexandra. She received as a gift from the Prime Minister a gold coin, the Virgin Mary – Golden Apple, which was put in circulation by the central bank on the day Alexandra was born, January 2, 2024. 

It transpired during the Prime Minister’s visit that the local hospital has received BGN 160,000 to prepare the construction of a helicopter patch for transportation of seriously ill patients. It is due to be built within a year. 

 Denkov also met with the staff and management of the local hospital. He asked the staff members to share within their grievances and assured them that the government will continue to invest in health care as it is among its key priorities.