Balgarianovinite.com Health Minister Katya Ivkova said there is no purge at the Health Ministry, and that that every civil servant should work for the state. She was speaking at a briefing outside the Ministry after it transpired that Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev had tendered his resignation.
According to Ivkova, Kunchev’s resignation should not be linked to the ongoing administrative reform. She noted that state health control also includes monitoring healthcare-associated infections. Ivkova pointed out that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has repeatedly criticized the level of healthcare-associated infections in Bulgaria over the years.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chief State Health Inspector Angel Kunchev said in a Facebook post that a number of planned measures would cause serious difficulties in the operations of the health inspectorate structures. These concerns are among the reasons behind his decision to submit his resignation.
The Health Minister noted that Kunchev had also highlighted this issue, as well as the existence of more than 230 vacant positions at the regional health inspectorates. “Administrative reform does not simply mean mechanically cutting vacant positions,” Ivkova said. According to her, the Ministry of Health’s approach is focused on streamlining the general administration while placing greater emphasis on specialized administration and expertise.
She expressed her respect for Kunchev’s professional experience and career, as well as for his contribution to Bulgaria’s healthcare system. Ivkova said that on Monday, when Kunchev returned to work after sick leave, she had a conversation with him.
Ivkova said that the regional health inspectorates will not be closed, but will instead be transformed into territorial directorates and will retain their existing functions. The general administration, including accountants, lawyers, and financial specialists, will not be as large as it is currently.
Minister Ivkova said that a public consultation on amendments to the Health Act related to the administrative reform is still to take place, and that all opinions will be taken into consideration.
Asked by BTA what the next step would be to address the issue of healthcare-associated infections, which has also been identified by the OECD, Minister Ivkova said that this would become clear soon, as medical standards will also be amended.
Asked who the new Chief State Health Inspector would be, the Minister replied that it was still too early to answer that question. “We certainly have enough professionals in this field,” the Minister assured. Ivkova said she expects whoever takes up the position of Chief State Health Inspector to demonstrate professional commitment and work in the public interest.
Regarding reports of resignations by other directorate heads in connection with the proposed administrative reform, Ivkova said that no resignations had been submitted as a result of the structural reform. “I have received resignation requests, but they are in a different context and concern the third-party liability and comprehensive insurance of ambulances, vehicles belonging to the regional health inspectorates, and vehicles of the regional centers for transfusion hematology,” the Minister explained.
In response to a question about whether she was familiar with the criteria for assessing the level of healthcare-associated infections that Kunchev said he had proposed and which, according to him, had subsequently been dropped, Ivkova said she did not know when he had presented these criteria. During the period in which she has served as Health Minister, she said, no such criteria had been presented to her. However, she added that she would request them from the Public Health Directorate.
Regarding the concerns expressed by patient organizations over the proposal to bring the National Council on Reimbursement and Pricing of Medicinal Products under the structure of the Ministry of Health, Minister Ivkova said that these organizations would be able to submit their reasoned opinions once the public consultation on the draft legislation begins.
There Is No Purge at Health Ministry, Says Minister Ivkova 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-08-26 13:52:00
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БЪЛГАРИЯ НОВИНИТЕ – ИНФОРМАЦИОННА АГЕНЦИЯ 2009-2026 2026-08-26 13:52:00