News

14 February 2025

The Ombudsman Institution approached the Director of the National Expert Medical Board Ani Alexandrova to insist that an expert decision be given as soon as possible on the case of a woman from Assenovgrad who saved her daughter’s life as a donor of half of her liver.

The case became known after it became clear that the woman could not recover and resume her work. She encounters difficulties in undergoing the necessary treatment and in purchasing the prescribed medications. She submitted an application with her medical file attached to ask for a type and degree of disability/degree of permanently reduced working capacity to be assessed by the medical authorities with expertise but she had to wait for more than half a year for her file to be considered by the Territorial Expert Medical Board (TEMB) in Velingrad. In December 2024, the TEMB issued an expert decision to recognize 95% permanently reduced working capacity. However, the expert decision was contested by the Territorial Division of the National Social Security Institute – Plovdiv and brought to the NEMB.

“In view of the functions of the Institution of the Ombudsman in the Republic of Bulgaria, it is important to note that the citizen needs adequate support from the government. Given her worse condition, the first and crucial step for granting the assistance due is the objective and timely assessment of the type and degree of disability/degree of permanently reduced working capacity by the competent authority – in this case the NEMB,” writes the Secretary General of the Ombudsman Dr. Aysun Avdjiev to NMEB Director Alexandrova, insisting that the possibilities for the conclusion of the procedure with an expert decision be discussed as soon as possible.