Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Pandemic leads to a 22% drop in heart surgery

Photo: BGNES

A decline in operations in three key areas of medicine was observed in Bulgaria in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Heart surgeries decreased by 22% last year compared to the previous year. This is shown by the data of the Health Insurance Fund, analyzed in the Index of Hospitals study, the website clinica.bg reports. A decline in this area has not been registered only in pediatric heart surgery - especially in newborns with malformations.
Orthopedic surgeries decreased by 21.5% in 2020 compared to 2019.
The pandemic has had a smaller impact on neurosurgery, where the decline was 8% last year.
Among the reasons for the reduced number of medical interventions is the ban on planned operations, imposed twice by the Minister of Health due to the pandemic.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov (L) and Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev at a press conference.

Energy minister says Bulgaria’s fuel supplies safe until year-end

Fuel supplies for the domestic market are fully secured until the end of the year , Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said, following the United States’ sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft. He added that the market would be closely monitored to..

published on 10/24/25 4:07 PM

Bulgaria’s defence industry offers opportunities for successful partnerships, President Rumen Radev says

“Bulgaria’s defence industry is renowned for its quality and enjoys an excellent international reputation. This offers great opportunities for close cooperation with Vietnam in the security sector,” President Rumen Radev said during a visit to the..

published on 10/24/25 3:11 PM

Cabinet to reallocate security service cars to President’s administration

The Council of Ministers has proposed transferring vehicles from the National Security Service (NSO) to the Presidential Administration through a legislative change, Bulgaria National Radio reporter Tsvetelina Stoyanova reported. This would not put a..

published on 10/24/25 2:04 PM