site.btaParliament Rejects Proposed Amendments to Medical Treatment Facilities Act

Bulgarian MPs rejected at second reading proposed amendments to the Medical Treatment Facilities Act that concerned the remuneration of medical non-specialists, pharmaceutical non-specialists and non-physician practitioners.

The proposals, submitted by Vazrazhdane and Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), sought to set the salaries of young doctors at 150% of the national average wage. The amendments were rejected with the votes of GERB-UDF, Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, BSP–United Left, and There Is Such a People, whose members either voted against or abstained. Young doctors' call for higher pay was supported by CC-DB, Vazrazhdane, Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh), and Velichie.

Vazrazhdane's proposal was rejected by a vote of 103-79 with 17 abstentions. CC-DB's proposal was rejected by a vote of 105-78 with 15 abstentions, with one GERB-UDF MP voting in favor.

GERB-UDF Deputy Floor Leader Prof. Kostadin Angelov said that the issue of young doctors’ pay will be addressed through the budget laws. These laws will establish salary levels based on staff categories, including doctors without residency, nurses, and masters of pharmacy. "All other categories derived from the ones I already mentioned will be subject to collective bargaining within the respective medical institutions," Angelov said. "There is a clear political decision that salaries for non-specialist junior doctors in the hospital care system will not fall below the average gross salary multiplied by the relevant percentage," he added. In his words, medical professionals who do not work under the National Health Insurance Fund and are not financed through it but through budget authorizers by sub-delegation will receive funding from the Ministry of Health’s budget.