The board of directors at Sofia's Pirogov emergency hospital will meet on Friday to discuss resigning as the conflict between the hospital's staff and the healthcare ministry continues escalating.

One director, Dimitar Radenovski, has already tendered his resignation, Darik News reported.

Despite calls from the hospital's staff, demanding the sacking of the board for impeding strike efforts, healthcare minister Radoslav Gaydarski has backed the board to stay on.

The protesters are demanding wages of BGN 1,600 for doctors, BGN 800 for nurses and BGN 400 for paramedics, as well as new equipment and a change in the status of the hospital, which would allow it to receive state subsidies.

The hospital's 2,000-strong staff went on strike for the first time on May 18 and threatened to go on effective strike if their demands are not being satisfied.

Their pleas have remained unanswered so far although the doctors blocked the traffic on one of Sofia's chief thoroughfares for half an hour every morning for three days in a row last week.

Pirogov is Sofia's main emergency hospital and the biggest in Bulgaria, and is the main destination for patients in critical condition from the entire country.

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