The staff of Sofia's Pirogov emergency hospital will not go on effective strike on Tuesday after most of their demands were met in the latest round of talks with the healthcare ministry.

Minister Radoslav Gaydarski agreed to change the hospital's board of directors by Thursday, which will not include any former directors.

The ministry would also draft a funding scheme to subsidise the costs of clinical services, which are insufficiently covered by mandatory state insurance.

It would also allocate funds for new equipment, but the two sides did not reach an agreement on the wage hike demands.

Last week, an arbitration panel ruled that the doctors can go on effective strike if they continue to treat emergency cases, which cannot be taken by other hospitals.

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.

The protesters demanded 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.

Their pleas have remained unanswered until Monday although the doctors blocked the traffic on one of Sofia's chief thoroughfares for half an hour every morning for a week last month.

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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