Varna Blood Transfusion Center Survives after Wage Upping

The thirty eight doctors and nurses from the Regional Blood Transfusion Center in Bulgaria's Black Sea capital Varna, who decided to quit at the beginning of November because of low salaries and poor work conditions, are withdrawing their resignations.

The information emerged Tuesday, after a meeting between the trade union leader of the unit, Dr. Margarita Tochkova and the Deputy Mayor for Healthcare at the Varna City Hall, Hristo Bozov.

The medics say they have received an official assurance from the municipality that more funds will be slated for the blood transfusion center, prompting them to reconsider their earlier decision.

The first pledge was delivered on November 15 by Varna Mayor, Kiril Yordanov, who, after a meeting with Health Minister, Desislava Atanasova, announced the monthly wages of the doctors and the nurses will be upped by BGN 100 by the end of the year, with the funding secured by the Varna City Hall.

Tochkova says with the municipal funding, the salaries at the center will reach their 2011 level, and the medics expect another increase of 7% to 10% from January 1, 2013.

Bozov added that the total amount needed for the unit was BGN 65 000 and the proposal to slate it will be submitted as early as Wednesday.

In mid-October, all six doctors and half of the nurses and lab staff at the Regional Blood Transfusion Center in Bulgaria's Stara Zagora quit because of low salaries, but a month later they also withdrew the resignation after being assuaged by the Health Ministry that their wages will be increased in November.