site.btaUPDATED Young Doctors, Students, Medical Professionals Protest for Decent Pay

Medical students, young doctors and health professionals came out Monday at a protest in Varna to express their dissatisfaction with the lack of reforms in health care and the inadequate pay of the staff in the system. Those who gathered also put up posters to show their position. "The cure for Bulgarian healthcare is respect and decent pay", "We care for you with all our heart, it's time to get recognition", "When dignity is worth more than the salary, young doctors leave!" were some of the messages the protesters addressed to the government.

The dissatisfaction is mainly dictated by the fact that in recent years, there have been no health reforms, and there is no adequate pay for doctors, especially for young ones, said Milen Cholakov, a trainee doctor in his 6th year at the Medical University in Varna. In his words, the patience of his colleagues has long run out and if this time their demands are not heard, Bulgaria will end up losing its doctors and medical specialists.

Cholakov pointed to the lack of proper policy on the part of the state as the main problem. According to him, this applies not to one government, but several successive cabinets. "This has to change, because otherwise the way is clear for us - we go to work abroad," the young doctor said, adding that many of his colleagues are ready to leave after graduation.

The slogan of the protest was "We want a future in Bulgaria!" and it was supported by the Bulgarian Association of Health Care Professionals.

Chanting "Future in Bulgaria", medical students protested on Monday evening in front of the Ministry of Health for the right to decent working conditions and wages. Protests were also held in Sofia, Burgas, Pleven, and Stara Zagora.