site.btaBTA Chief Believes Bulgaria Has Every Chance to Develop Modern Sanatorial Treatment Services

Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev told a symposium in the summer resort of Sveti Vlas on Sunday that healthcare experts see many opportunities for the development of modern sanatorial treatment services in Bulgaria. Valchev believes that the country has natural assets which would be highly conducive to the development of physical medicine and rehabilitation. He noted that the nation boasts a remarkable wealth of mineral water resources. "We need to popularize these opportunities in a more systematic way," he said.

The two-day symposium (August 31 – September 1) was titled "Air, Sea, and Climate - Health Strategies", and proceeded under the motto "We are what we breathe". It was organized by the Inspiro Foundation with the support of the Ministry o Health, the Ministry of Tourism, the municipal governments of Burgas and Nessebar, and Dinevi Group. BTA was the media partner for the event.

Valchev said historical records show that the first patient of the rehabilitation complex in Varshets, in the western section of the Balkan Range, received treatment in the middle of the 19th century. The earliest medical bathhouse in Varshets was built in 1910, not long after the Bulgarians were liberated from Ottoman rule.

Government support is another factor for the development of sanatorial treatment. The fact that health and spa tourism accounts for one-sixth of the Bulgarian tourist business shows that the opportunities are really big.

BTA expects to sign an agreement with the Bulgarian Union of Balneology and SPA Tourism during the union's congress in Burgas from September 9-10. The idea is to advertise the above-mentioned opportunities in weekly news reports in Bulgarian and English, Valchev said. He noted that BTA is the only Bulgarian news outlet which runs a regular English-language service. "It is the face of Bulgaria to the world," he stressed.

Pediatric pulmonologist Iren Tsoncheva said that sanatorial treatment aims at reducing disease symptoms, increasing functional capacity and streamlining everyday activities. According to her colleague Snezhina Lazova, the incidence of bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis in children has increased in recent years.

Bulgaria has been successful in developing health tourism, said Deputy Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva, who opened the second day of the symposium.