Eighteen of the biggest hospitals in Bulgaria are ready with projects worth a total of 120 million euros to apply for funding under European programmes, Health Minister Radoslav Gaidarski said here on Monday. The projects, mainly for refurbishment and purchase of new equipment, will be presented to the Regional Development and Public Works Ministry.

Gaidarski said that nearly 60 million euros are expected under the European structural funds for the development of emergency aid in Bulgaria.

The Health Minister said that the debts of the state-run hospitals in Bulgaria add up to 42 million leva, of which overdue ones total 13 million leva.

Gaidarski recalled that health care outlays in the 2008 budget will be by 368 million leva more than the 2007 figure. He noted that 10 million leva will be set aside for the first time for training of interns.

In Varna the Health Minister inaugurated a clinic for interventional cardiology with the St Marina University Hospital. A total of 1.3 million leva were invested in the repair works and re-equipment of the clinic, its Executive Director Krassimir Ivanov said.