Urgent Medical Care in Bulgaria: Importance, Challenges, and Organization

The reform of emergency medical services was the first stage in modernizing the National healthcare system in Bulgaria. Preceding in time the reform of other outpatient and inpatient care structures, it has played and continues to play the role of a safeguard buffer in the process of building a modern healthcare system in the country. Ensuring uninterrupted access to emergency medical care for the population is a primary concern and responsibility of the state. In this regard, urgent care has remained in the background. Growing disparities between social groups are evident, as legally regulated access to urgent care is reserved for individuals with uninterrupted health insurance rights. Before, during, and after the healthcare reform in the period 1997–2001, the role of urgent care has gained increasing significance; however, it remains underfunded, with limited resources and virtually no legal regulation.