Health Minister Radoslav Gaidarski met representatives of Pirogov emergency institute to discuss its restructuring. Union representatives were also present at the meeting.

The meeting resulted from recent protests of hospital staff concerning low wages.

According to hospital management the average wage of a nurse was 528 leva per month, Bulgarian news agency BTA reported.

Restructuring and expanded hospital activity featured among the topics of discussion. Gaidarski also talked about an eventual wage increase that could result from higher hospital revenue.

Pirogov management said that some structural reforms have already been implemented. The hospital was looking for new sources of financial aid and was about to set up a diagnostics and consultation centre.

Gaidarski said that Pirogov had special status as an emergency institute. In the end of 2006 the hospital was allocated 11 million leva for meeting major expenditure, said he.