BULGARIA | Emergency | Cultural information
Healthcare in Bulgaria
Everyone is entitled to health care in Bulgaria, and this is partly funded by the employee’s mandatory contributions to the National Health Care Fund. The National Health Care Fund with regional departments in every Bulgarian city or town administers the finances of the health service. There are two categories of entitlement to public health care: the full range of medical services at no cost, or certain services free with the remainder to be paid for. You will be entitled to the following services, provided you are a EU national or ordinarily resident in Bulgaria:
- All in-patient public hospital services in public wards, including consultant services. There is a daily charge for public hospital accommodation.
- All other out-patient hospital services, including consultants.
- Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments.
- Maternity and Infant care services including the services of a GP during pregnancy and after the birth.
What can you buy without doctor's prescription
These are the most popular drugs that are available in pharmacies without prescription:
- basic analgesia e.g. Analgin, Benalgin, Aspirin, Paracetamol, Coldrex
- Medicine with local antiinflammation effect like Efisol
- decongestants: Xylomethazolin, Vybrocil
- spasmolitics: buscolisin, Spasmalgon, No-spa
- creams with antiallergic effect: Flucinar, Elocom, Lorinden
- antitussives: Sinecode, Prospan, ACC, Mucosolvan
- vitamins
- bandages, dressings, plasters, bandaids.
In Bulgaria, you can’t usually buy any medication at the supermarkets.
Doctors Surgeries
You may visit the doctor of your choice in Bulgaria, but once you choose your GP, you should stay with him or her unless you are unhappy and want to change your GP – then you have to do the paper work again. If you need to see a doctor, you should have a friend or colleague recommend one.
Visits to the doctor are usually by appointment.