Change in Hospital Director Pay: Minister Ivkova Announces New Formula Linked to Results

Health Minister Katya Ivkova announced that a new formula for determining the salaries of executive directors of state and municipal hospitals will be implemented by the end of the month. The goal of the change is for remuneration to be directly linked to real results and the financial condition of the medical institutions.

According to the Minister, the previous model allowed hospital managers of institutions in distressed financial relations or on the brink of bankruptcy to receive high salaries. "It is not right to have whispering in the health system. There must be transparency," Ivkova emphasized in an interview with bTV.

Criteria for New Salaries
The new system will be based on multiple factors, including:

• Financial profitability and the ability to service debts;
• Implementation of investment policy;
• Indicators for attracting young medical specialists;
• Achieved health outcomes and quality of care indicators.

The Minister noted that the ministry has already prepared the necessary analyses and calculations, which will be aligned with the Regulations for the Application of the Public Enterprises Act. She emphasized that in a market economy, it is normal for pay to depend on management efficiency.

Problems with the National Children's Hospital and Lobbying
During her statement, Ivkova also touched upon other critical topics. She revealed that she has requested an explanation from the management of the National Children's Hospital regarding the spending of over 2 million leva, describing the situation as a "legal absurdity." The Minister emphasized that the construction of a new center for children's health is a government priority.

In addition to hospital management, the Health Minister is also fighting lobbying in public procurement. She advocates for the centralized purchasing of medicines and medical equipment, which would guarantee a single price for the same product throughout the country, preventing anomalies in the expenditures of individual medical institutions.