A total of 32,913 beds for active treatment are needed to meet the needs of the population for hospital medical care. This is enshrined in the draft National Health Card (NHS), which was adopted by the National Commission and chaired by the Minister of Health and today it was approved by the Ministry of Health, the ministry said.

The total number of beds for active treatment in the whole country is 38 803. The analysis shows that in the year 2017 a total of 24 723 beds were needed to carry out the medical activities in the 28 administrative districts. This means that the NSS project envisages 8190 additional beds for active treatment for which the NHIF will conclude contracts with the hospitals.

Acceptance of the National Health Card will enable the Health Insurance Fund to exercise the right to choose which health establishments to enter into contracts in cases where there is an oversupply of specific medical services on the territory of a given area. This will ensure effective spending of funds while guaranteeing citizens access to quality medical care.

The Ministry of Health will publish the draft of the NSS for a public discussion for a period of 30 days. After the adoption of the health card by the Council of Ministers and the publishing in the State Gazette, it will become a compulsory element of the methodology under which the NHIF concludes contracts with the hospitals.

The National Health Card has been developed on the basis of the 28 Regional Health Maps, which take into account the security of each of the administrative areas with medical specialists, hospital beds, high-tech equipment and access to emergency care. It plans the needs of the population from hospital and outpatient medical care, which is a prerequisite for the conduct of an effective and long-term national health policy. By law, a comprehensive update of the NSS is done once every three years.