Representatives of 16 non-governmental health and patients’ rights organisations in Bulgaria started a campaign on March 20 to collect signatures in support of demands for a reform of Bulgaria's Health Care system. The signatures are to be submitted to Parliament on March 24.

The organisations demand that a patients’ representative be added to the assembly of the National Health Insurance Fund and that a Patients’ Rights Commission be established in every region. The organisation also want the adoption of a Patients’ Rights Act and amendments to the Health Insurance Act and a representative of a patients’ rights or civil organisation to be included in the Supreme Medical Council within the Health Ministry (HM).

Within the Health Ministry, the organisations want a public council on the patients’ right and a consultancy council of patients and civil health organisations to be set up, as well as hospital boards within all state and municipal medical-treatment facilities to be established as regulated by the Medical-Treatment Facilities Act.

Volunteers from the organisations collected about 500 signatures by noon on March 20. The petition signing will continue on March 21, chairperson of the Association for the Protection of People with Mental Disabilities and managing board member of the Bulgarian Association for People with Mental Disabilities Petko Kenadov told The Sofia Echo.

The petition has been organised by the International Institute on Health Care and Insurance, Association for Bulgarian Health Care Development, Confederation “Health Protection”, Foundation of Parents of Children with Epilepsy, Bulgarian Association for Nerve-Mussels Diseases, Association of the Bulgarians with Asthma, Bulgarian Association for People with Mental Disabilities, Association “Different but Equal”, Association of Patients with Cancer Diseases and Friends, Association of Parents of Children with Impended Sight, Foundation of Patients with Chronically Kidney Diseases and Hemodialisys in Bulgaria, Foundation “MS Society in Bulgaria”, Bulgarian Association “Diabetic Disease”, Bulgarian Association “Children Cerebral Paralysis”, Association “Open Communication”, Bulgarian Association of People with Cancer and National Association of Women with Cancer Diseases in Bulgaria.