"The modernization of health care structures has been a key priority of the government in recent years and stays that way," Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said here on Saturday.

"In recent years, the State has invested nearly 500 million leva in health care, which is a substantial amount by the standards of the country's economy and budget." "I don't say this with the feeling that we have done everything necessary," Stanishev admitted, adding that the health care modernization process will continue in coming years.

"The State will prioritize investment in university and regional hospitals, which are the backbone of health care, the PM added.

Stanishev, Health Minister Evgenii Zhelev and Labour and Social Policy Minister Emilia Maslarova Saturday inaugurated new clinics at Sofia's Alexandrovska University Hospital.

"Alexandrovska employs 1,700 medics, including 330 physicians. The hospital consists of 32 units: 16 clinics and 16 laboratories. Over the last four years the medical-treatment facility has been admitting over 130,000 patients from all over the country annually," said the Director of the hospital, Assoc. Prof. Asen Zlatev. Ten thousand of the patients have undergone complicated and costly surgical interventions.

Zlatev noted that Alexandrovska has good diagnostic equipment and that 15 million leva have been invested in equipment and modernization since 2005.

Source: BTA