Medical Crisis in Silistra: Civil Protest Ahead of State Decision

The crisis at the Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment (MBAL) – Silistra is reaching a critical point, threatening access to medical care for over 90,000 people. Due to the acute shortage of medical specialists, the suspension of operations in the pediatrics, neurology, and rheumatology departments is imminent.

Although patients are already beginning to seek treatment in smaller municipal hospitals, such as the one in Dulovo, the options for redirecting cases are highly limited. The manager of MBAL – Dulovo, Yanita Andreeva, warns that municipal medical facilities operate with limited capacity and cannot replace the functions of the regional hospital. According to her, such measures would only be a temporary relief rather than a solution to the deep systemic problem.

The main reason for the degradation of medical services in peripheral regions is the accumulated years of staff shortages, driven by an ineffective financing system. Hospitals do not have sufficient funds to cover real costs and attract the necessary specialists.

Tension in the region is rising, especially after a planned meeting of the Minister of Health with local leadership and health institutions was postponed indefinitely without an official explanation. In response to the situation, citizens and public organizations have announced a peaceful protest scheduled for Friday, July 24. Protesters are demanding that the state take immediate steps to preserve the departments and guarantee the safety of patients in the region.