Co-payments by patients for treatment are in several directions - one of them is for medical supplies. There is another big pen for additional services - food, sheets, additional service, a private room, which is allowed for private hospitals, and state hospitals do not have the right to require. All this is legal, but the right of state and municipal hospitals to do the same is limited. This was said by the MP from “Progressive Bulgaria” and member of the Health Care Committee Georgi Petrov on the air of “Hello, Bulgaria” on Nova TV.
„A private structure, if it profits from the NHIF 100%, can reach up to 150% additional funds from the additional payments. This allows there to be better pay there and good specialists are directed there”, explained the MP.
Petrov was categorical that there should be more resources in the Health Fund, but they should not come from the health insurances. This can happen by changing the way the money is spent, he added.
Due to the differences in the prices of medicines, there is an outflow of over 100 million euros annually from the Fund, explained the MP. He emphasized that private hospitals have been given the opportunity to purchase medicines with direct contracts with manufacturing and importing companies. „This opens up a niche to buy medicine for 100 and 800 leva”, said Petrov. He added that "Progressive Bulgaria" is proposing a change in the law, according to which private hospitals should also conduct public procurement like state and municipal hospitals.
The MP also said that there is also a leakage of funds in the case of medicines for oncological patients and children. Therefore, the government is proposing to hold centralized tenders - i.e. the Ministry should negotiate with manufacturers and importers about quantities and prices.
Regarding the "Diagnosis Bulgaria" platform of Martin Atanasov, Petrov said that this is a good initiative and the government has contacted him. The MP also pointed out that this platform "opens the eyes of society, and not so much of doctors and people from the system, because we know that this happens locally". The MP emphasized that, however, when things are examined on such a large scale, one realizes how serious the problem is. According to Petrov, a similar type of project like “Diagnosis Bulgaria” and digitalization in the healthcare system can give the Ministry of Health a lot of leverage to see where the gaps are and where they can be fixed.
Petrov also explained that there is no way to suddenly stop the leaks, because “they have so engaged the system” that there is a risk that the entire healthcare system will be blocked. But he promised that the government will build on what Martin Atanasov has done. For this purpose, it is planned to introduce artificial intelligence into the system and gradually eliminate the problems.
Regarding the healthcare personnel that “Progressive Bulgaria” relies on, Petrov pointed out that people with good expertise have been appointed.
The MP also commented on the topic of the National Children's Hospital. According to him, the claims that the government does not prioritize building the health facility are a lie. He added that the fact that no new funds have been invested in the company that is supposed to build it this year does not mean that they have given up on the hospital. Petrov added that the company currently has 47 million euros in its account.
“Minister Ivkova said that she is creating an interdepartmental group for the National Children's Hospital, which will work in the right way”, the MP also emphasized.