The start of construction of the National Children's Hospital is postponed to the second half of 2026. Procedures are delayed, and the deadlines are indicative.

No direct access to information

„"We no longer have direct access to information and communication with either the ministry or the ZIKDB, we are monitoring the situation from the sidelines for information. What has become clear in the public space is that there is a delay, since the schedule was indicative. Let's say that this delay is within normal limits. For me, the exact date of the construction of the children's hospital is not the main problem. Since October last year, the public procurement for the design has already been with the Public Procurement Agency, a positive opinion is being awaited so that it can be announced," said Nadezhda Rangelova from the former Public Council of the National Children's Hospital.

Will the report be implemented?

For her, the big question is when exactly the public procurement will be issued.

„"It is good to see in the public procurement a correspondence between the fact that on 99% this public procurement will cover the report that was approved after working with the Spanish consulting company. Seeing what is happening in children's healthcare, I am inclined to believe that we will have a building that cannot function. This will also be related to wondering how to strengthen children's structures in the country. You see what is happening in the last two weeks - a ward in Varna, a team with 35 years of experience, is leaving due to the inability to treat," Rangelova commented to Bulgaria ON AIR.

She recalled that the director of the National Children's Hospital, Blagomir Zdravkov, resigned.

„"What we have seen as a dialogue with the Ministry of Health for the last year is definitely the most disastrous communication. Pediatrics should be the structure that is developing, building new models that will be transferred to the hospital, and instead what we get is a big shock. No ministry has the administrative resources, children's healthcare is collapsing. What we need to do as citizens is finally to get angry," the guest insisted.

The issue on the agenda is how the Ministry of Health will secure staff for this hospital.

„"We see catastrophe after catastrophe in pediatrics - all red lines have been crossed and it is time to make a very clear commitment to a reform in pediatric healthcare that encompasses all of pediatric healthcare. Problems cannot be solved piece by piece and from crisis to crisis. And of course, we are late with the reform. I asked all hospitals in the country that have pediatric structures what needs they have declared under the ministry's capital program. Year after year, the ministry receives requests from pediatric structures in the country, which amount to a total of 182 million leva for capital expenditures," emphasized Nadezhda Rangelova.

According to her, no one has given a signal that this problem is getting worse.

„"This is a lack of management. Doctors are not leaving just because of the money, but because of the inability to treat children in quality conditions," she pointed out.