site.btaUPDATED Eighty-One Nursing Homes Under Renovation Across Country - Labour Minister

Currently, all 81 nursing homes across the country are being renovated. Over BGN 370 million have been allocated under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, said Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov, during a visit to a nursing home in Silistra, where he reviewed renovation progress.

According to the Minister, an additional 254 social services will be launched with funding of just over BGN 330 million.
“This is something that hasn’t happened in the past 35 years,” he stressed.

Minister Gutsanov also told the media that BGN 77.6 million have been earmarked nationwide for the procurement of electric vehicles equipped with charging stations.
“We’ve structured the procedure so that the funds will go directly to mayors, and the vehicles purchased must be used exclusively for social needs—capable of transporting people with special requirements, not for luxury,” he added. 

According to Minister Gutsanov, the ministry is currently collecting proposals from various municipalities for the construction of new nursing homes. “We’ve removed over 400 people from illegal care homes, and now we need to find suitable places for them. If necessary, new facilities will be built so that everyone in the autumn of their life can feel safe and at peace,” the Minister noted.

He added that another key area of focus for the ministry will be children. “Birth rates in Bulgaria, young families, and children are of utmost priority. This will be the number one focus for our ministry next year,” Gutsanov stated.

Borislav Gutsanov stressed that the goal of his visit to Silistra was to inspect the progress of renovation works at the largest care home in Bulgaria.

“The funding is significant - BGN 17 million. The ministry’s policy is to allocate the funds to municipal mayors, as they are closest to the people and understand the issues best. It’s essential that the construction company completes the project by June 30, 2026. An additional BGN 6.5 million has been granted by the ministry for a separate service for 30 individuals with specific needs, which must also be completed by next year,” he highlighted.

Silistra Mayor Alexander Sabanov also visited the care home and according to him, the renovation is progressing according to schedule.

“We will manage with the team from the construction company. More and more workers are arriving, and the scale of the work is becoming quite large,” he added.

Minister Borislav Gutsanov also visited a home assistance service and a community support center in Silistra. The center provides assistance to children and their families in areas such as prevention of abandonment, domestic violence, school dropout, deinstitutionalization, and reintegration of children, among others.