Hunger Strike at Alexandrovska Hospital Over Transparency Dispute.

The union said the decision was made after an application was submitted under the Access to Public Information Act, requesting information about the remuneration of the hospital’s management, the criteria used to determine it, and data on the hospital’s financial condition.

The ministry’s position is categorical: no personal, labor, trade union or organizational dispute can be placed above patient safety and the national interest in the field of transplantation. The ministry respects the right of every medical specialist to defend their labor and professional rights through legal means, but that right cannot be exercised in a way that creates a risk to the continuity of medical activity, the clinic’s international accreditation or the timely care of patients awaiting transplantation.

The case of the hunger strike announced by Prof. Milena Ivanova-Shivarova should not be viewed solely as a labor dispute, because EFI accreditation is not an administrative formality, but a guarantee that Bulgaria operates according to internationally recognized standards in a field where mistakes can have serious consequences. The ministry is aware of official reports and alerts outlining a serious organizational and professional problem related to the clinic’s functioning and the risk to maintaining international accreditation from the European Federation for Immunogenetics.

In response to the request, no information was provided, while disciplinary proceedings were launched against Prof. Shivarova, which the union links to her trade union activity and to the questions raised about transparency in the hospital’s management. The organization said that if there is no response from the competent institutions, further protest actions in the healthcare system will be discussed.

The union has notified the health minister of the planned protest, calling for institutional intervention to avoid further action.