Bulgaria Spends Most Funds Allocated to Healthcare on Hospitals

Society » HEALTH | February 23, 2015, Monday // 15:58
Bulgaria: Bulgaria Spends Most Funds Allocated to Healthcare on Hospitals File photo

Although Bulgaria does not have good health indicators, it is among the leaders in Europe on the amount of funds expended on hospitals.

Bulgaria spends 52 % of the state funds allocated to treatment on hospitals, which is 20 % higher than the corresponding share in other European countries, daily Sega reports.

These figures are featured in the concept “Healthcare goals 2020”, which was approved by the Bulgarian government last week.

According to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), France spends 37 % of the public funds allocated to treatment on hospitals.

The corresponding numbers in the Czech Republic, Spain and Belgium are respectively 33 %, 31 % and 29 %.

Apart from this, the hospital capacity and the share of hospitalisations in Bulgaria are above the average, even when compared to countries with similar revenues and expenses on healthcare.

Although the number of hospital beds per 1000 people have decreased considerably since its peak in the 1990s, it remains high above the average European levels.

At the same time, the number of newly-founded hospitals increases, especially in the private sector.

The hospital sector in Bulgaria is characterised by a high number of hospitals and hospital beds with a prevalence of beds for active treatment.

This excessive infrastructure is coupled with higher than the EU average consumption of hospital services.

In 2011 the number of hospitalisations in Bulgaria was nearly 40 % higher than the corresponding numbers in the newer member states of the EU.

At the same time, the number of examinations carried outside hospitals was comparatively lower in Bulgaria.

In 2011 there were 5.5 ambulatory visits per person per year on average in Bulgaria, compared to 7.23 in the countries, which acceded to the EU after 2004.

At the same time, Bulgaria has poor health indicators compared to European countries, having high rates of premature mortality, mother mortality and child mortality as well as low life expectancy.

The concept foresees the optimisation of the network of hospitals for active treatment and drop in their number of beds.

The hospital sector is to be restructured through the introduction of compulsory national health card, which describes the medical care needs of the population.

The concept also foresees the restoration of compulsory accreditation for hospitals, the development of one-day surgery and ambulatory care, the transformation of beds for active treatment into beds for continuous treatment.

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Tags: Bulgaria, healthcare, hospital, EU, hospital bed, hospitalisation, treatment, mortality, life expectancy

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