Политика

The new Minister of Health Prof. Dr. R. Gaidarski took over the re-organization of Emergency Medical Services. The goal is to end the endless transfer of patient responsibility from Emergency to hospitals and back. How to reform the system so that it works in the interests of the sick was the topic of a two-day high-level meeting in Velingrad.
On November 4 and 5, a national meeting of the Ministry of Health with the directors of the Regional Center of Public Health Protection and Control - the former HEIs and RZZ (Regional Center of Health) was held at Kamena BLC. This is the first meeting of its kind with the new Ministry team.
The meeting started with a meeting of the political leadership of the Ministry with the directors of the RIOKOZ and RZZ from all over the country. It was personally led by Health Minister Prof. Dr. Radoslav Gaidarski. His deputies Dr. Emil Raynov, Dr. Atanas Dodov, Dr. Valeri Tsekov and Dr. Matey Mateev were present; the head of the cabinet of the Minister Assoc. Jasmina Mircheva and Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Yanka Kyurkchieva.
The first topic discussed after this closed meeting was bird flu as a threat to human health and our preparedness to welcome a flu epidemic. Reports on the HIV/AIDS prevention and control program and planning of the medical provision of the population in crises followed. On November 5, the national meeting continued in groups. The directors of the RZZ together with Deputy Minister Dr. M. Mateev discussed current problems in the management and control of medical institutions. Special attention was paid to the organizational and information problems in the activities of TEMC and RKME, which perform medical expertise on the working capacity of patients.
The Directors of RIOCOZ and Deputy Minister Dr. At. Dodov discussed the annual inspection activity report presented by the Chief State Health Inspector Dr. Tencho Tenev. The current problems of the epidemiological situation in the country, presented by Dr. Angel Kunchev, were also examined. The restructuring of the emergency medical care system was again put to discussion. The directors were also aware of the new moments in budget funding for next year.
At the press conference after the end of the meeting, Minister Gaidarski announced the new vision for the work of the Emergency Aid. As of the present 27 Regional Centers for Emergency Medical Care (CSMP) there are wards with bed fund in which sick people in urgent need of medical care are accepted for treatment. But there is a lack of regulation on which in these wards the sick receive consultation and treatment from a specialist doctor. Now the MH has decided to switch the wards from the CVMP to the hospitals, thus ensuring that the sick will receive help from a specialist, and the examinations performed by the doctors will be paid. It is precisely because of the lack of payment regulation that hospitals have so far been unwilling to work with emergency patients. The so-called a "pre-hospitalization minimum" for the urgently ill, the costs being borne by the Health Insurance Fund. A time is also determined - 6 hours during which a decision must be made to refer such a patient. The idea is greeted with enthusiasm, colleagues believe that this will solve an existing problem for years, the minister believes. The philosophy of emergency care does not change, but the resources of hospitals are used to improve treatment, emphasized Deputy Minister Dr. Mateeev. This will only happen in district cities, and wherever there are premises that can be handed over by the Emergency to hospitals. The budgets for the CSMP will not be reduced, they will even grow.
Personal doctors will also be involved in the reform of emergency care. Experience so far shows many gaps, many patients complain that their personal doctors do not provide 24-hour duty and often do not answer their phones when called. For the first time, the Ministry of Health will regulate in a special regulation that if the jeep cannot respond to the calls of its patients 24 hours, it must conclude a contract with another doctor or medical institution. For the time of replacement, GPs will be required to release information at the door of their offices. We do this in the name of the sick and the health of the people, and if some personal doctors do not wish to work under this scheme, to go entirely into private practice, advised the health minister. He stressed that "morally practicing" personal doctors would have a choice.
Another important problem, according to Dr. Gaidarski, is re-retirement through medical certification in TEMC. Now every pensioner can be re-retired again and there is an upward gradation of the disabled: currently, according to NSSI data, there are 408,000 people in Bulgaria with a degree of disability. If we continue like this, we will retire on disability half of Bulgaria, the minister warned. He gave no guarantees that in 2006 health care money will be enough, but explained that for the first time the fires for health care facilities will be redistributed only for activities carried out. Currently, there is a large shortage in the health system, with some hospitals having made huge costs. Hospitals will not be closed, but will be restructured; where necessary, beds will be closed, was Minister Gaidarski's forecast.
Elena Baeva