Parliament's health committee backed two of three bills to change the Health Act at first reading, while a third fell short of votes.
Sixteen MPs voted for a bill put forward by Alexander Simidchiev and a group of lawmakers, with two abstaining. Under the bill, people assessed for disability by a regional medical panel, known as TELK, will be able to see their own health records in the national panel's database, along with their legal representatives. The national panel is known as NELK. People will also be allowed to file applications and declaration forms online through a proxy, under the rules of the Electronic Governance Act.
The NELK database will also run automatic checks to flag cases where a permanent disability may have been wrongly assessed. If a regional panel's decision is flagged as high-risk, the case goes to the national panel. If a national panel decision itself is flagged as high-risk, officials appointed by the health minister will take over the case.
A bill from Georgi Iliev and a group of MPs passed with 18 votes in favor and none against or abstaining. It will let police officers give first aid using automatic external defibrillators, as long as they are at the scene of an incident and acting within their legal duties. They will use the devices carried in the cars they drive.
The committee rejected a bill from Kostadin Kostadinov and a group of MPs that would have required anyone who comes across an emergency to report it. The report would have had to go to the 112 emergency line, the nearest emergency medical center or other health facility, and the nearest police station.
The two bills that passed now be reviewed by the full parliament.