site.bta40% of Substandard Secondary Legislation in 2007-2022 Issued by Health Minister

About 40% of substandard secondary legislation between 2007 and 2022 was issued by the minister of health, Sofia University Law Faculty Dean Daniel Valchev said on Thursday. Valchev and other experts presented a citizens' initiative called Health Barometer, which monitors the Bulgarian public health system.

Between 2010 and 2022, the health minister issued 601 pieces of secondary legislation, the second-highest number after those issued by the agriculture minister, said Valchev, who is also former deputy prime minister and former minister of education and science. According to him, the Health Act is amended about five times a year, and so is the national framework agreement between the Bulgarian Medical Association and the National Health Insurance Fund.

Bulgaria has more hospital beds than Sweden, but the average Bulgarian lives 10 years less than a Swede, Valchev said.

Health Barometer surveys will be published three times a year to present the trends in the system's development by looking at the main quantitative indicators and to offer in-depth analysis of important health policy issues.