I do not know the material that was provided to the commission by the BLS and I did not have the opportunity to prepare, said the manager of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHOK) Petko Salchev during a hearing in the parliamentary health committee in connection with what happened in it at the end of December this year .

a letter from the Management Board of the Bulgarian Medical Union (BLS) requesting an early termination of its mandate due to a lack of transparency in the spending of funds voted by the Parliament, as well as unwillingness to deal with the problems in the sector that hinder workers and patients, is missing of dialogue with the BLS. 

The vice-chairman of the commission Kostadin Angelov was categorical that Salchev does not need to know what is written in the document, but only to answer questions of the members of the commission, as he is expected to be familiar with what is happening with the institution he manages.

He pointed out that the BLS letter listed 16 violations of various legal norms by the manager of the NHIF.

"I believe that from a legal point of view, and that is why we have chosen the manager of the National Health Insurance Fund, it is in our interest to protect the interests of Bulgarian citizens.

Then, when there is broken communication, non-fulfillment of legal norms and lack of contractual process and neglect of the main contractual partner, which is BLS, I consider that this violates the interests of Bulgarian citizens, doctors, patients and all institutions that are financed by the NHIF". said Angelov.

The health fund released its entire reserve

"For a period of more than two years, in which I have been the manager until now, I have signed 14 annexes with the BLS and the same number with the Bulgarian Dental Union and 4 contracts with the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical Union", with these words Salchev explained that he was not idle and obviously a dialogue is conducted between it and the various organizations and partners of the NHIF.

He was also surprised by the accusation of systemic violations and asked why so far not a single complaint has been received from a medical facility that it has not received its funds.

On the occasion of the BLS complaint that there is no dialogue between the organization and the health fund, the manager of the National Health Insurance Fund stated that the dialogue is a two-way process.

"When a dialogue is held, it is held on both sides, not just one side.

In addition, he has to step on documents.

Mere dialogue at the table is not enough for me.

I am open to any dialogue, I am dialogic.

In addition to the BLS, I also hold a dialogue with our other partners," said Salchev.

He added that the only ones who are not satisfied with the dialogue are the BLS. 

“This is not an argument between two men, we are not in a pub.

This letter is an extract from a large folder of evidence of whistleblowing from colleagues across the country.

If we are saying all these things and they are false, there is a legal way to check them," said BLS Chairman Ivan Madzharov.

Shortly before the doctors' union submitted the document with the requested early termination of Salchev's mandate for consideration in the parliament, they threatened effective protest actions if their wish was not met.

director of the NHIF

health commission

Prof. Petko Salchev