At the end of 2022, the Council of Ministers in Bulgaria adopted the National Map of Long-Term Health Needs. The National Map aligns with the priorities and policies outlined in the National Health Strategy 2030 as well as the reforms envisaged in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
A shortage of general practitioners (GP), oversupply of acute hospital beds, and undersupply of long-term care beds, as well as regional disparities in workforce undermine access to outpatient care in more rural regions in Bulgaria. The objective of the National Map is to ensure that future health care investments will contribute to a more equitable and sustainable regional development with improved access to care.
The National Map was developed using the National Health Map methodology and a second methodology jointly developed by the PUB HUB Croatia project team from the Medical University of Zagreb, the European Commission, and representatives from Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovenia. It maps out and assesses the provision of health services in Bulgaria and identifies long-term needs at the regional and district levels.
In this way, the map is intended as an evidence-based planning tool for interventions and investments in the health system, considering population needs for health services and the existing health infrastructure at the national, regional, and district level.
Through an analysis of health system resources at the regional level and outlining the development potential and the shortfalls of each region, the Map has found that primary care facilities, including GP and nursing professional practices, should be established in underserved areas. Furthermore, the analyses highlight other pressing concerns requiring policy interventions and investments. These include enhancing the capacity for diagnostics and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases and the establishment of highly specialized stroke facilities throughout the country with the capacity for advanced diagnostics, interventional treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, and rehabilitation of stroke patients. The development of the National Platform for Medical Diagnostics is an additional priority, which would provide medical specialists with direct access to up-to-date medical information on socially significant diseases and remote outpatient units with opportunities to interact with specialists and hospital facilities.
Based on these findings and its articulated priorities, the adoption of the National Map of Long-Term Health Needs could significantly increase health expenditures and support the reorganisation of care delivery in Bulgaria to address the most pressing challenges in the health system and better match the differential and evolving needs of the population. However, the National Map of Long-Term Health Needs must enhance transparency in planning and implementation of health reforms.