site.btaContinue the Change Table Bill for Higher Pay for Young Medical Professionals

Continue the Change has tabled draft amendments to the Medical Establishments Act to guarantee fair pay for young medical professionals in medical establishments for which 50% of revenues come from the National Health Insurance Fund, the state or municipal budget, the party's press centre said Friday. The revisions have been drafted based on the proposal of young doctors, presented to MPs at a roundtable in Parliament last week. 

The aim of the proposals is to counteract the deepening crisis in the Bulgarian healthcare, caused by the shortage and emigration of medical staff. Low pay levels, lack of financial security and non-transparent remuneration management are among the leading causes of the outflow of professionals from the health sector.

With the proposed changes, Continue the Change introduces statutory minimum wages for doctors, nurses, midwives and other medical professionals working in medical institutions funded mainly by the budget and the NHIF. It is proposed that the minimum basic salary for doctors without specialty be not less than 150% of the average gross salary for the country and for nurses and related professionals, not less than 125%. The ceiling on the difference between the lowest and highest pay in hospitals should be no more than 10 to 1.

The amendments are expected to result in higher motivation of medical staff, better quality of healthcare, reduction of emigration and restoration of confidence in the public health system, the press release said.