Protest and Counter-Protest Held over Alleged Abuse by Sofia Maternity Doctor

Alexandra Krumova

BTA Photo/Blagoy Kirilov

Sofia,

15.07.2025 19:53

(BTA)

Two opposing protests were held Tuesday outside the Mothers' Home maternity hospital in Sofia following allegations of mistreatment by a doctor during childbirth.

Supporters of a woman who recently gave birth at the hospital gathered to demand the dismissal of Dr. Irena Shikova, whom the woman accused of insulting, hitting, and treating her roughly during labor. They also called for the resignation of the hospital’s executive director, Prof. Dr. Ivan Kostov.

At the same time, a counter-protest in support of Dr. Shikova took place, with participants defending the professionalism of the hospital’s medical staff and urging the public not to discredit doctors without due process.

The demonstrations, which were peaceful but accompanied by heightened police presence, were prompted by a viral social media post from the patient recounting her alleged experience.

In response, the hospital launched an internal investigation, and the executive agency Medical Supervision has initiated an extraordinary inspection into the case. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sergey Slavov, head of the hospital’s maternity ward, confirmed that official inquiries are ongoing.

The Bulgarian Medical Association issued a statement urging the public not to generalize from individual cases, emphasizing the importance of trust in medical professionals.

/RY, MT/