Procedures for free medical care for EU tourists in Bulgaria are still unclear, nearly a month after the summer season was officially opened in the country.

EU tourists needed medical insurance to receive healthcare services until December 31 2007, but after Bulgaria’s EU accession on January 1 2007 they have the right of free medical care, mediapool.bg said.

Doctors at seaside resorts need to have an agreement with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to work with EU tourists. NHIF pays for the treatment and later receives the money for the medical care from the respective foreign healthcare fund.

The legal procedure might be clear, but the Varna region lacks a single doctor meeting the requirements to treat EU tourists, mediapool.bg research showed. The situation in the region of Bourgas is better as two thirds of the medics there have the contracts needed.

Doctors prefer to refrain from contracting NHIF because the money they received from the fund is insufficient.

Of all the cities near the coast only the cities of Varna, Bourgas and Dobrich have emergency aid centres, mediapool.bg said.

Nearly five million foreign tourists are expected to visit Bulgaria in 2007. More than 80 per cent of them will be EU citizens.