Overview
- Christine and Eric Thompson say they are leaving Bulgaria after nine years, listing their villa near Sevlievo and planning a move to France.
- Christine alleges she was kept on the heart drug Cordaron for three years instead of six months, suffered heart and thyroid damage, and was ejected from a hospital after refusing further medication, as reported by the Daily Mail and relayed by Merkur.de.
- WHO figures cited in the coverage indicate Bulgarians pay nearly 50% of healthcare costs out of pocket, among the highest shares in the EU.
- Euronews and Ärzteblatt reporting points to chronic underfunding and medical emigration, with employed general practitioners reportedly earning about €350 per month and rural areas left under-served.
- The couple say everyday expenses were higher than expected and that bureaucratic hurdles complicated access to treatment for EU retirees.