A three-day protest against miserable pay and staff shortage began yesterday by workers in state psychiatric hospitals in our country. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and orderlies who are not on shift have been coming out in front of the medical institutions since 2 pm to demand higher salaries and a change in the category of work.
Protesters at the Sofia hospital "St. Ivan Rilski" shared that they like their work and see meaning in it.
Lachezar and Simo are orderlies in the First Men's Ward, where acute cases are accommodated. One has been working for five years, the other for three months. They told BNR how one of their shifts goes and how they deal with aggressive patients:
"When you're alone, you can't fix it. They fix it for 2 hours until they calm down, but you can't handle it alone. There should be two of us, but we work one by one. Sometimes nurses help, which is not their duty. In a last resort, when we can't handle it, the police are called. 30 people are in one place. When one of them shouts, the others start banging on the doors and reaching out. Is that normal for 900 leva?!?".
With a lot of observation and attention to the patients - this is how Penka Paunova, a nurse in the general psychiatry ward for adults - women, goes on duty. She explained that the shifts are 12 hours long - day and night. Most often, during duty, there is 1 nurse with two orderlies at best, she pointed out. However, she has not thought about leaving psychiatry.
Dr. Martin Gospodinov has been part of the hospital team for two years. This is his first job since he started working in medicine.
"Here I find my calling. The human psyche in itself is a phenomenon that can be studied for a very long period of time. This specialty is a unique experience," shared Gospodinov, who is also joining the protest.
Those working in the most unattractive part of our health system commented on what they want to change:
"- First of all, salaries should increase by at least 50 percent.
- At least we should be second category. We work for third category. We are paramedics without any insurance. What if something happens to us?
- Our work is highly dangerous. We are responsible for the lives of patients and our own lives.
- Because you come and you don't know if you will go home to see your family.