site.btaHealth Minister: Extra BGN 30 Mln Needed for Psychiatric Hospitals This Year

More than an additional BGN 30 million is needed for psychiatric hospitals this year, said Health Minister Silvi Kirilov during Question Time in Parliament to a question about the insufficient funding of psychiatric care.

Kirilov said that in 2024 the Health Ministry carried out monitoring of state psychiatric hospitals and prepared estimates for increased subsidy for diagnosis and inpatient treatment of patients. According to the estimates, BGN 30 million in additional funds are needed, of which BGN five million are needed for salaries, over one million for electricity, fuel and hygiene materials, over two million for the care of 373 permanent residents in the 12 state psychiatric hospitals, etc., he said.

During preparations of the budget forecast 2025-2027, the Health Ministry informed the Ministry of Finance of the need to provide this resource, but the hospitals insist on an increase of the daily allowance for patients to 130 BGN from the current 65 BGN, added Minister Kirilov. According to him, more than BGN 54 million are needed for this purpose, and together with the increase in funds for state psychiatric hospitals the amount adds up to more than BGN 64 million.