TRADE UNIONS AND EMPLOYERS SUPPORT THE PROTEST OF MUNICIPAL HOSPITALS

TO

Mr. KIRIL ANANIEV
MINISTER OF HEALTH

Mr. VLADISLAV GORANOV
MINISTER OF FINANCE

Ms. DANIELA DARITKOVA-PRODANOVA
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD FOR HEALTH IN THE 44TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

The nationally representative employers' and trade union organizations express their support for the organized protest by members of the Association of Municipal Hospitals in Bulgaria on 15 January 2018 (Monday) from 12.00 to 13.00 under the slogan "Stop the destruction of municipal healthcare! ".

Municipal hospitals perform more than 1/5 of hospital work in the country. They provide accessible medical help to more than 150 municipalities and about 2 million people in case of unpaid wages and obligations to suppliers of supplies and external services. At the same time, over the last ten years more than twenty municipal hospitals have ceased to exist. According to official representatives of the Ministry of Health, the total liabilities of the municipal hospitals amount to over BGN 100 mln, of which BGN 46 mln are overdue, incl. for social contributions to the NRA of over BGN 7 mln.

The most important reason for this severe financial condition is that the underlying clinical pathways on which municipal hospitals work are underfunded. Their prices have not changed since 2006, while prices of consumables, medicines, external services have grown drastically and the minimum wage has increased from 180 to 510 leva.

In this regard, the leaders of CITUB, KT Podkrepa, AICB, BIA, BCCI and CEIBG offer an immediate meeting with the leaders of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Parliamentary Commission on Health at the 44th National Assembly. We urge an urgent debate on effective measures to prevent the liquidation of municipal hospitals in severe financial condition and the approaching collapse in municipal healthcare.

12 January 2018