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Inflation also hit medical services.

Increase in the price of examinations, patients report.

Against this background, doctors demanded an increase in the user fee and the health contribution. 

Jovan Filipovski is a Macedonian who suffers from asthma.

He often has to use medical services, but always only with a referral.

"They charge BGN 40 just for an examination. They did. I haven't come privately for many years. I have a personal doctor, I have a permit and permanent residence in Bulgaria," he explained to Nova TV.

Recently, Jovan has observed an increase in the prices of some medical services and compares healthcare in our country with that in North Macedonia.

His bed neighbor in the pulmonary hospital in Burgas is 73-year-old Dikran Niklayan from Burgas, suffering from lung cancer.

And he shares that if he has to lie down in a place that does not work with the health fund, he will not be able to afford treatment.

Healthcare services in our country have become more expensive by up to 30%.

Among the most expensive examinations in Burgas are those privately in eye clinics, private hospitals, which, although they work with the health funds, have fees for hospitalization and meals.

And private examinations by gynecologists, cardiologists and pulmonologists are the most expensive, according to patients.

In the Burgas Lung Hospital, most doctors also work privately.

"They also work under a contract with the Health Insurance Fund. And when you have a contract with the Health Insurance Fund, you have the same value for the examination. If someone personally wishes to go somewhere to a specific specialist, to be examined, then he pays for his wish." , pointed out Dr. Evelina Troshanova - director of the Lung Hospital in Burgas.

This desire usually costs the patient between BGN 30 and 80 just for an examination with the various specialists.

The price for foreign citizens is 50 euros in places.

And while some think that the post-mortem fee should be raised, the lung hospital is of the opinion that it is unnecessary.

Otherwise, the good news is that the Bulgarian patient has started having preventive examinations, which the doctors associate with the past two-year covid pandemic.

"The Bulgarian got scared of covid and started to make faster decisions about his health and go to the doctor more often, which is good. And from there we already have severe cases, but not abandoned. The incidence of tuberculosis, which was unusual for our conditions," said Dr. Troshanova.

There is also an increase in the cost of examinations by skin specialists, neurologists, dentists, examination fees and X-rays.