At the end of 2022, the number of health establishments for hospital aid was 341 with 54 707 beds. The number of beds in these establishments has increased by 216, or by 0.4% compared to the previous year.
The number of hospital beds was 848.5 per 100 000 persons of the total population as the highest values of that indicator were registered in districts Pleven (1 184.5 per 100 000 persons of the population), Smolyan (1 135.5) and Plovdiv (1 069.5).
The number of out-patient health establishments was 2 172 with 1 303 beds. In comparison with the previous year the number of these establishments has increased by 39 (1.8%), and the number of beds by 18 (1.4%).
The other health establishments were 148 with 1 751 beds in them, as they has decreased by 9.7% in comparison with 2021.
As of 31.12.2022, 29 599 physicians were in practice under a basic labour contract in health establishments as the number remains relatively constant in recent years. Dentists were 7 602, as 6 624 worked in practices that had signed а contract with the National Health Insurance Fund. Medical specialists on ‘Health cares’ who worked on a basic labour contract in health establishments were 44 493. 28 827 of them were nurses and 3 285 - midwives.
The number of physicians per 10 000 persons of the total population was 45.9. In a regional aspect, the indicator varied from 26.2 to 72.4 per 10 000 as the highest values were registered in districts with Medical universities and Universities’ hospitals - Pleven (72.4 per 10 000 persons of the population), Sofia (stolitsa) (55.9), Plovdiv (55.3) and Varna (54.6).
In the structure of physicians by age, the highest number and share of physicians is in the age group 55 - 64 years - 10 015 persons, or 33.8%. At second place, is the group of elderly (aged 65 and over) - 5 943, or 20.1%. The young practicing physicians, aged up to 35 years, were 5 170 persons or 17.5%.
Only in five districts is the relative share of young physicians aged up to 35 years higher than the national share, and these are the districts with Medical universities - Sofia (stolitsa) and Varna (24% each), Pleven (23.6%), Plovdiv (23.4%) and Burgas (18.9%). In all other districts, the indicator is less favourable than the national one, with Vidin, Lovech and Montana standing out in particular, where the share is 0.7%, 2.1% and 2.5%, respectively.
