Sofia, June 15 (BTA) - The number of hospital beds at the end of 2017 was 748.1 per 100, 000 persons of the total population, the National Statistical Institute said. The highest values of that indicator were registered in districts Plovdiv (970.7 per 100, 000 persons of the population), Smolyan (955.4) and Pleven (900.5), and the lowest - in Yambol ( 361.1) and Vidin (385.4).



There were 42.7 physicians per 10, 000 persons of the total population and 11.9 dentists per 10 000 persons of the total population.



The number of physicians per 10, 000 persons of the population by districts varied from 26.4 to 59.7 per 10, 000 as the highest values of that indicator were registered in districts with medical universities and university hospitals.



Higher values than the average for the country were registered in following districts: Pleven ( 59.7 per 10 000 persons of the population), Plovdiv ( 51.4), capital Sofia (51), Varna (49.8 ) and Stara Zagora ( 43.4). The lowest values were registered for the districts: Kardzhali (26.4 per 10, 000 persons of the total population), Dobrich ( 27. 2) and Pernik ( 27.3).



The number of general practitioners per 10, 000 persons of the total population was 6.4. The highest values were registered in districts Pleven (8.9 per 10, 000 persons), Vidin (8.6), Montana (8.2), Dobrich (7.6) and Lovech (7.5). The lowest values of the number of general practitioners per 10, 000 persons of the total population were registered in districts Kardzhali (4 per 10, 000 persons of the total population), Razgrad (4.7) and Targovishte (4.9).



The number of health establishments for hospital aid as of December 31 2017 was 34 6 with 52,744 beds. Some 322 of them were hospitals with 50,519 beds. The number of out-patient health establishments was 2,043 with 1, 263 beds and other health establishments were 144 with 2,179 beds in them.



At the end of 2017, 30, 078 physicians were in practice under the basic labour contracts in health establishments. Dentists were 8,355, as 7,456 worked in practices that had signed a contract with National Health Insurance Fund. Healthcare specialists who worked on a basic labour contract in health establishments were 46,702. Some 30,955 of them were nurses and 3, 207 - midwives.

Source: Sofia