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

Hospitals hide empty beds to avoid admitting stroke patients 

50 000 people suffer stroke every year

Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki
Photo: Ani Petrova

Bulgaria ranks first in the European Union in terms of stroke mortality, says Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki, head of the largest specialised centre for the treatment of the disease at the capital's St. Anna University Hospital. According to him, about 50 thousand people suffer from stroke every year.

It is necessary to create a register of stroke patients in order to control which hospitals provide modern treatment and to follow up people after the acute phase of the disease, Assoc. Prof. Rosen Kalpachki told BNR. 

He added that at least one to two out of ten people who suffer an acute stroke die in the first few days and confirmed that there is a problem of hiding empty beds to prevent such patients from being admitted. However, according to him, this happens mainly in Sofia. 

"The fact is that especially in the off-hours - in the afternoon, after Friday noon, until Sunday, on holidays - stroke patients are admitted to a maximum of 3 hospitals in Sofia. This is not fair because it puts a strain on these teams, it puts a strain on the ability to provide adequate care and it rather distorts people's perception that they can actually be treated in a European capital in a European way in the 21st century".



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

4-year-old boy hit by ATV in Bulgaria's Sunny Beach resort has been taken out of intensive care

4-year-old Martin, who was hit by an ATV in a heavy accident on a sidewalk in Bulgaria's Sunny Beach resort is in stable condition and has been taken out of intensive care . This was reported by Nova TV, referring to a statement of Sofia's Emergency..

published on 9/16/25 5:13 PM
Deputy finance minister Metodi Metodiev

Bulgaria expects second and third payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan by the end of the year

The second and third payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan are expected by the end of the year, confirmed Deputy Minister of Finance Metodi Metodiev. He participated in a meeting of the budget committee in parliament, at which the..

published on 9/16/25 4:48 PM

Bulgarian navy destroys damaged surface drone about 80 km east of Varna

A damaged surface drone was destroyed today about 80 km east of Varna in the waters of the Black Sea by the Bulgarian Navy , the Ministry of Defense announced.  The drone was discovered on September 15 by the Navy, in cooperation with allied forces..

published on 9/16/25 2:40 PM