Ivanka Dineva and Zheni Staykova will compete for the post

Ivanka Dineva and Zheni Staykova will compete for the post of manager of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) after a few days ago “Vazrazhdane ” withdrew its candidate Todor Hinov.

Staykova was proposed by „ BSP for Bulgaria “ , and Dineva by GERB-UDF . The emphasis falls on the second nomination . In the reasons of Boyko Borissov’s party, it is stated that their candidate has 21 years of professional experience in the health care system, including in the management of the NHIF, as from October 2015 to February 2017 she was deputy manager, and from May 2017 to December 2020 – advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister on economic and demographic policy. From December 2020 to September 2022, Dineva was the Director of the Regional Health Insurance Fund – Sofia-City.

In theory, Dineva’s autobiography looks brilliant and flawless, but is it really so, or is GERB-UDF hiding the truth once again?

Ivanka Dineva was an advisor to the Minister of Health /in the period from November 7, 2014 to January 27, 2017/ Petar Moskov . At that time, an inspection by the Internal Audit in the line ministry found a conflict of interest for Dineva – she was appointed not only as an advisor, but also on a contract basis in „ BulBio “. Moreover, between 2014 and 2015, Dineva provided legal services to private and state medical institutions, among which was the University Hospital „ Alexandrovska “ .  She was contracted for legal services with Director at the time, prof. Kostadin Angelov. Dineva undertook that her company would serve the hospital with priority, with orders being assigned by Angelov and accepted by her. It is not clear whether this influenced her advice to the Minister of Health.

In 2015, Dineva took the post of Deputy Director of the National Health Insurance Fund . There is no public information on how or if her consulting firm influenced her new position. Two years later, in 2017, she was disciplinary dismissed by Dr. Glinka Komitov. After a lawsuit was filed, she was reinstated and the NHIF paid her compensation.

In 2020, the post of Minister of Health was taken by Prof. Kostadin Angelov. Almost immediately, he appointed Dineva as Director of the Regional Health Insurance Fund – Sofia-City . At the end of 2021, a scandal broke out – the WHO accused the ophthalmologist Dr. Alexander Oscar /Alexandrovska Hospital/, who was in conflict with prof. He fined the Alexandrovska polyclinic, headed by the doctor, with an amount for 2700 examinations. It was subsequently clarified that this happened because of 5 unsigned outpatient lists. And the inspection was appointed after a „ written report “ of a former employee of the hospital.

In 2022, the court dropped charges of taking money from the NHIF through false examinations against the Alexandrovska Medical Center, and the sanction was overturned

In the same year, Dineva was disciplinary dismissed , and the order was handed to her after a 6-month sick leave and after the findings of the fund inspectorate, as „ Kapital “ newspaper recalled.

The reasons for the dismissal order also indicated other gaps in her work process , such as, during the Коронавирус pandemic, she did not comply with the order of the manager of the NHIF and for approximately 2 years did not update the capital’s Коронавирус beds in the NHIF information system in a timely manner, such as she did not sign annexes with the hospitals. This was also among the reasons that the actual number of Коронавирус beds could not be tracked – as a result of which many people lost their lives while looking for a place to be hospitalized.

Given the above, the Iskra.bg team would like to ask if there are any candidates with less controversial biographies who have not already been fired from the Health Insurance Fund. Or, once again, a replacement will be performed instead of a change .

Today, the candidates will be heard during a meeting of the Committee on Health Affairs . And then there is their vote in the plenary hall. The one who received more than 50% of the votes of the deputies present will be elected. In the event that none of them receives the necessary votes, a new procedure for the election of the manager of the NHIF will be opened.