Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria is among EU countries with highest mortality from brain stroke

Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki
Photo: Ani Petrova, BNR

There are four times as many people dying of brain stroke in Bulgaria compared to other EU countries, according to a 2021 report by the European Commission.

In 2023, 45,000 brain stroke patients were registered in Bulgaria, of which more than 5,500 died in hospital. This was said by Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki, head of the Brain Stroke Treatment Centre at St. Anna Hospital", during an expert meeting dedicated to cardiovascular diseases and stroke. 

There are 70 neurological units in Sofia, but not all of them have "intensive, resuscitation beds" to treat patients who have had a stroke, said Assoc. Prof. Kalpachki. 

In Bulgaria the death rate from stroke is 320 people per hundred thousand population, added Assoc. Prof. Kalpachki quoted by BTA. 

In 2023, 133 hospitals declared that they treated brain strokes, and 49 of them indicated that they did one thrombolysis (one of the stroke treatments) in the year. 

According to Assoc. Prof. Kalpachki, only three percent of stroke victims in Bulgaria are treated by thrombolysis.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel to Greece due to a national strike

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Bulgarian citizens to avoid traveling to Greece because of a planned national strike today. The Foreign Ministry advises people to check the situation in Bulgaria's southern neighbor and the timeliness of flight..

published on 2/28/25 11:31 AM
Rositsa Mateva

CEC Deputy Chair Mateva: Recalculation of election results should be ready by the end of next week

"We hope that by the end of next week, the calculations will be completed and the results will be submitted to the Constitutional Court", Central Election Commission (CEC) Deputy Chair Rositsa Mateva told public broadcaster BNT regarding the..

published on 2/28/25 11:22 AM

The number of pensioners has increased by 15,630 people

The number of pensioners in January this year increased by 15,630 people, or 0.8%, compared to the first month of the previous year, the National Social Security Institute informed. More than 2 million people live on pensions whose average value is..

published on 2/28/25 10:16 AM