The reality of health care in Bulgaria

How do you die from tonsil removal.

The four year old Gergana

Bulgaria- fully fledged member of the European Union since January 2007. Or at least this is what in the other part of the world people like to think. But what makes you european? How can we think ourselves european when the most simplistic human rights are brutally downtrodden. How can a man can be european, when even the Bulgarian health care system is filled with corruption. Yes, the same corruption you heard about in the dozens reports about Bulgaria. This article will not include stories about the poor hospitals, high medical taxes or the lack of care given for those taxes. The letter will present you a story about a death of the four year old child. Gergana was the name of the girl and she died on the eve of Christmass. And no, we are not talking about some irreversible tragedy.We are talking about a medical care that led to this event.
Gergana- a four year old, strong and happy child- frequently suffered from Tonsillitis. In the end of November her parents have been advised to preform a Tonsillectomy by a medic. So after a brief visit to their personal physician, they were guided to „University Hospital “Tsaritsa Yoanna” – ISUL”. There, the family was recieved by senior medical assistant Madzhunov.After the examination was over, the parents was told by the doctor that a surgery was absolutely necessary. They did not argue with the decision of such a “specialist” so, the surgery was schechuled for 8th of December. One day before that, a series of routine examinations were performed. The results were not suitable for surgery on the next day and the personal physician was certain that there will be no such a surgery. But when the results were taken to Madzhunov by the parents words “he replied arogantly that the child will never be cured, unlees the tonsils are removed”. So the surgery was held. After the intervention the child was sent home the same day and in the medical papers written that the kid is hospitalized at the 7th of December and gone home at the 9th of December. By this paperwork the doctor has been paid illegally twice – first by the parents which paid him a team tax and second by the Bulgarian Health Fund for a medical service. After six days Gergana started suffering from fever. She was sent to the hospital where the conclusion of Madzhunov was like “Not enough intake of fluids” and she was sent home. The other day she started vomiting blood so she was rushed to the hospital again. There she spent the night. On the mornin visitation from the doctors, Madzhunov was noted about his patient. His reply was “She’s fine, send her home”. A couple of days later Gergana started vomiting blood again- on 23th of December. Again, she was rushed to the hospital. After hours of waiting in the hallways, she was hospitalized. Everything was seemingly under control, but some minutes later the child started vomiting blood again and collapsed. The emergency unit failled to revive her.
And that is how this little angel died. On the very eve of Christmass.

Bulgarian health protection isn’t going forward for the last years. It’s going backward and our children are being murdered. Is this the 21st century in Europe?

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