NEWS

"The health of workers is becoming a hostage to market mechanisms and competition between enterprises and companies. The desire for quality working conditions is giving way to the desire to reduce the company's costs." This was stated by Vice President Iliana Yotova in her public lecture on the contemporary challenges facing occupational medicine at a forum organized by the Faculty of Public Health at the Medical University - Sofia.

In 2018, Iliana Yotova opened the first International Congress on Occupational Medicine and Work Ability Expertise in Bulgaria.

The Vice President was awarded a plaque by the Rector of the University, Prof. Viktor Zlatkov, and an honorary diploma by the Dean of the Health Insurance Fund, Prof. Tsekomir Vodenicharov, "for the inspiration from the patronage of the Congress on Occupational Medicine and Work Ability Expertise, which achieves a wide response among the college, employers, employees, unions and international participants for new partnerships and cooperation."

"In the eye of the storm, in the years of the most severe economic and financial crisis, high unemployment levels destroyed even the conversation about safe work in many industries," noted Iliyana Yotova and cited as an example the so-called mobility package, which, among other things, also treats the rights of drivers. However, the conditions in which they work and rest remained outside the focus of the public debate. She stated that due to the economic and financial collapse, unfair practices between individual enterprises reappeared, and social dumping became a leading topic at the international level.

"The Hunger Games" characterize a significant part of Bulgarian production. Seamstresses in our country are often compared to seamstresses in Cambodia because of the poor working conditions and low pay," the vice president pointed out. She noted that it is very difficult or non-existent to control working conditions in the shadow economy, home-based work and self-employed individuals.

According to the vice president, the issue of the conditions under which Bulgarians work abroad, especially seasonal workers, is occasionally raised. "The phenomenon of 'modern slavery' is increasingly common in everyday life even in developed economies," said Iliyana Yotova.

The Vice President drew attention to the so-called modern diseases, which are caused by a seemingly innocent form of exploitation. In more qualified professions, thanks to technology, employers have 24-hour access to their employees and require them to work overtime without additional pay. There is a lack of public discussion about the development of occupational medicine in the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution, emphasized Iliyana Yotova.

Iliana Yotova noted the different status and functions of occupational health services across Europe. “Their diversity makes it difficult to build a truly European network of occupational health services,” the vice president pointed out.

"There is a hunger for occupational medicine specialists in the EU," the vice president noted, pointing out that in Bulgaria and Romania there are less than 10 specialists per 100,000 workers. For comparison, there are over 40 occupational medicine specialists per 100,000 workers in Italy, Latvia, and Finland.

Iliyana Yotova stated that in Bulgaria there are still not enough attractive conditions for young doctors to choose occupational medicine as their specialty.

"Last but not least is our innate skepticism that it is more important to fight for health and labor, rather than labor and health," noted Iliyana Yotova.

The Vice President expressed his gratitude to the professors and scientists of the Medical University - Sofia for the enormous efforts they make to bring this science to an international level, and most importantly - to convince society of its enormous importance.