More than 250 children have signed up for free health checks by Sofia specialists on Saturday at St Anastasia children's hospital in Burgas.

This report follows our earlier story on the free checks for children up to 18 at the hospital, which it announced for Saturday, 17 October.

The Sofia doctors worked with their Burgas colleagues in the hospital's diagnostic and consultation unit. Families from the region got specialist care without having to travel to other cities.

Doctors held consultations in paediatric cardiology, kidney disease, orthopaedics and trauma, urology, eye care, ear, nose and throat conditions, skin disease, and obstetrics and gynaecology. The visiting doctors came from Pirogov hospital, Alexandrovska hospital, the Sofia paediatric hospital and St Ekaterina hospital.

Dr Asen Medzhidiev started the national "Child Health" programme in 2012. It aims to spot illness in children up to 18 early and get them specialist care. In 14 years, more than 30,000 children from across Bulgaria have had checks under the programme.

A mother from Sozopol said she learned about the checks by chance from an online article, then called and booked a slot for her child. The family has a health problem and would otherwise have to see specialists in Stara Zagora or Sofia. She added that her child was impressed by the new hospital, which is different from the clinics they had visited before.

Hospital manager Dr Blagomir Zdravkov says the turnout shows a need for such checks. He says Burgas has enough specialists and the hospital's conditions are excellent. "It is an honour and a privilege for us to welcome our colleagues from Sofia, with whom we have worked together for years," Dr Zdravkov said.

The hospital now has a contract with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and takes children for diagnosis and treatment.

Dr Vanyo Vidkov, head of the Sofia branch of the Bulgarian Medical Association, said the doctors will review the health problems they found during the checks. The hospital's management will get the results and decide which illnesses and specialities the next campaigns will cover. "Investing in health is investing in the future, because children are our future," Dr Vidkov said.

St Anastasia also held health check campaigns in August and September.