Bulgaria needed to look for long-term strategies for the development of its healthcare system, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said.

On March 7 Stanishev met directors of hospitals in Sofia and other cities to discuss problems that the sector is experiencing. Health Minister Radoslav Gaidarski and Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski also took part in the talks.

Healthcare needed more efficient and transparent financing, Stanishev said.

The state should not run away from its responsibilities and should look for ways to combine market efficiency with social policies, Stanishev said.

Recently medics in various Bulgarian cities started protests because of the chaotic healthcare reforms carried out so far. Medics said that the sector was underfinanced.

Cabinet managed to stabilise the financial situation of various state-run hospitals and increased transparency in the work of the National Health Fund, Stanishev said.

The resources allocated to healthcare were not insignificant but their utilisation should be more efficient, Stanishev said.