Headline: Bulgarian Emergency Medics Threaten Mass Resignations Over Escalating Attacks and Inadequate Punishment
In a grim turn of events, medics at the Sofia Emergency Medical Services (EMS) have threatened to resign en masse in protest against escalating attacks and what they perceive as inadequate legal responses. The crisis was sparked by an assault on a security guard during New Year’s celebrations, as reported by Nova TV.
The Sofia District Prosecutor’s office released the suspect and charged him with causing "mild bodily harm" under the auspices of "hooliganism". However, this decision has drawn strong criticism from EMS medics, who argue that such attacks have become worryingly frequent, with 15 incidents reported in the past year alone.
According to the Bulgarian Penal Code, "mild bodily harm" is defined as injury that includes "fracture of the jaw or knocking out teeth, which makes chewing or speaking difficult." In this case, the security guard sustained a mild injury, with two teeth knocked out and a cut on his chin. However, legal experts argue that this constitutes "medium bodily harm" due to the nature of the victim’s injuries.
"Knocking out two teeth, especially when they’re totally missing, almost always leads to loss of chewing ability or difficulty speaking or chewing," observed attorney Rosen Rashkov. "In 99% of cases, this should be considered medium bodily harm, even if the teeth were partially broken before the incident."
While the legal battle rages on, the specter of mass resignations looms large over the venerable institution. Established by Tsar Boris III, the Sofia EMS is one of the oldest and most respected emergency services in Bulgaria and Europe. However, it now faces an existential crisis due to the increasing incidence of attacks and lack of protection for its staff.
"If the guards resign, we will follow suit," said Katiya Sungarskaya, spokesperson for Sofia Emergency Medical Center. "We have only 12 teams for a regular shift, but we need 80. This situation is unsustainable and could lead to a catastrophic shortage of emergency care."
Sungarskaya and other Sofia EMS staff have called for harsher penalties for such attacks and an update to the Penal Code that better reflects the seriousness of these crimes. Dermoclinic medicine experts have echoed these sentiments, stating that the current legal framework is out of date and in desperate need of reform.
