50 diagnostic and consultative centres (polyclinics) in the country are to set up so-called Covid-zones, this transpired at the beginning of the week. Ten of them are to be in the region of Sofia and 40 on the territory of the entire country. They are expected to start functioning this week, with 6 million Leva being allocated to finance them. The specialized units are meant to take some of the pressure off the Covid wards in hospitals. There patients will be able to undergo a check-up by a doctor, take an antigen test free of charge, a blood test and, if need be, a chest X-ray.

“It is no problem for us to create such a Covid-zone, we are doing that at the moment anyway,” Dr. Vassil Vassilev, director of Diagnostic and Consultative Centre No. 12 says in an interview for the BNR’s Horizont channel. “Covid patients are among us. One of our X-ray machines is used only for coronavirus patients, the other one is for everyone else. We reorganized our work right away so as to have an entrance and an exit from the building where the Covid-zone is. The patients come in and have a rapid antigen test, the result is ready within 30 minutes. If the patient needs a check-up, there is a surgery next door with a doctor and a nurse. If they have an appointed X-ray and blood test, they will be performed without any contact with the other patients. The results of all tests are available online. I am grateful to the entire staff who back me. We have been working since the start of the pandemic. Two trainees are also going to join our work roster.”

The people in need of hospital treatment will be transported to the respective medical establishment by the emergency services. Those in need of home therapy will be cared for by their general practitioners, as before. GPs who monitor Covid patients will receive an additional stimulus of 1,000 Leva. They have to register the condition of the patient in the system on a daily basis, and to prescribe treatment with house calls or over the telephone. Referrals for tests are supposed to be prescribed electronically, GPs are to be able to prescribe rapid antigen tests with certain symptoms.

Compiled by Darina Grigorova