Sofia - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Not that I'm aware of. The medical unit here is good and helpful. I've heard of local med unit staff offering to accompany American staff to doctors appointments in case of translation needs. - Jun 2023
No particular health concerns in the city, but things like tuberculosis and rabies are more common in the village areas. - Mar 2019
Decent medical care, but not fully up to U.S. standards. That said, we know multiple people who had babies here, had emergency surgery here, or other procedures, and it was fine. Not ideal, and some cultural differences, but fine. - May 2016
No and health services are good. - Dec 2014
Medical care is bad in Sofia. - Nov 2014
Gladly we have a pediatrician on post and he is really good. Medical care is terrible in Sofia. Bulgarians don't understand what "Sanitation" means!! Tokuda is the most popular hospital here, but provides awful care. - Aug 2014
This is probably the weakest point of living here. The level of health care is dismal. State hospitals are decrepit, corruption is rife, and the service levels and sanitary standards are hard to believe, especially since this is an EU country. The best hospital by far is Tokuda hospital, a Japanese owned hospital that is clean, offers modern equipment and with generally good doctors. Though even there the doctors have a Soviet mentality where they don't think it's important to communicate with the patient about what they are doing or what the treatment will entail. - Jun 2011
I don't think nurses are as highly trained as in the U.S. The doctors seem fairly good. Hospitals are available for x-rays and seem pretty competent. The U.S.embassy evacuates to London for bigger health issues. - Oct 2009
Tokuda Hospital is part of a Japanese healthcare company recently opened its doors and offers very good care. Bulgarian doctors are trained to a very high level but until recently facilities were antiquated. With the recent EU accession of Bulgaria and the booming economy, there is significant investment being pumped into the health care sector, clinics like Tokuda now offer state of the art equipment found in any major hospital in Western Europe or the U.S. - Feb 2008
