Bulgaria, as you know is a member of the European Union. Yet, if you check the stats of our country, you will notice, that on most, if not all, economic and happiness factors, we are falling far behind most of the countries in the Union.
One of the most important spheres is health. We have a health system, which very often makes patients its slaves, instead of serving to them. Clinical pathways are limiting and time-consuming, nurses and all kinds of health care specialists are immigrating into other countries because of better economic conditions etc. Politicians fail to manage the widespread corruption, which in this social and economic sector is deadly for the citizens.
One example of this is Iva Mechandzhiiska, who recently managed to cure herself from cancer. She did it regardless of the health care system in Bulgaria, not thanks to it. She had the luck to find help and support from a “Neogenesis” – Non-governmental organization, working in the country, and financial help from a friend of hers – Svetlio Kantardjiev. They managed to provide for two rare medications – Blue scorpion venom from Cuba and the so-called “Imunofan” from Russia, which has been proven to fight the deadly disease.
Iva reported recently that she is now in good health, despite of the health-care system, which in Bulgaria still uses only the most common methods to fight cancer, such as chemotherapy. The medications Iva took are expensive for a single person, but would not be so “heavy” for the health care system and the state budget. It is just that the system is ossified, and currently the politicians are trying all they can to support it, rather than to reform it. It seems that the interests of patients fall back after other interests and the macroeconomic frame further limits the scope of possible action.