Homeless people in our society are left to fend for themselves. Social institutions seem to ignore this problem, which has been growing in recent years. The reason why more and more Bulgarians end up on the streets is the financial instability in the country. There are no official statistics on how many people have been left without shelter in recent years in Bulgaria.
However, are Bulgarians inclined to lend a hand to these people, seeing them dirty, drunk and sometimes in a bad mental state?
The reason for this article is that yesterday the Iskra.bg team wrote about a disabled person in a helpless state in front of the University Hospital for Active Treatment – Burgas, in need of care and treatment. The 51-year-old has been a bum in the city for years. He has a protocol from the Territorial Expert Doctor’s Commission, congestive heart failure, sleep apnea, hypertension, with oozing leg ulcers.
For this case, our media sought the opinion of various experts and the position of the University Hospital for Active Treatment – Burgas. The health facility indicated that they help these people as far as they have the financial and legal ability. The hospital has repeatedly responded to such cases, but it is not a social home to accommodate them. The medical facility indicated:
„We are not a social institution! We have a lot of problems with such patients, especially when it starts to get cold. These are socially weak and uninsured people. They need not only an examination, but care and attention. They need a home and a place to live. A large number of them run away from these medico-social care centers because they are used to the streets. The problem is social, the homes are full, there are not enough places to stay, the homeless in most cases do not even have documents. They are always examined, but whether they stay in the medical facility, it is at the company’s expense.“
Тhe University Hospital for Active Treatment – Burgas has helped many similar cases by accommodating them, examining them, treating them and helping them get a disability expertise from the Territorial Expert Medical Commission. However, these responsibilities are subject to the Social Assistance Agency. For its part, social workers can’t do anything either, as they do not have enough medico-social care centers to accommodate the homeless people.
There are also several ways each of us can help these people:
– voluntary giving of personal time and finances, providing food
– donation of new and preserved items
– donating a blanket or coat
– creating a charity fundraising campaign
– paying for a medical examination or purchasing medications
How to lend a hand to homeless people and where are there medico-social care centers in Bulgaria?
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Sofia:
– „St. Dimitar“ Temporary Accommodation Center – Lyulin r.d., building 464, entrance A, phone: 02/925 07 27, 02/827 43 30, 02/827 41 53
– Temporary Accommodation Center – Krasna Polyana r.d., 2 Rishki Prohod St., phone: 02/ 920 18 07
–“St. Sofia“ Temporary Accommodation Center, Zaharna Fabrika r.d., building 51, entrance A, phone: 02/822 08 88, fax: 02/920 80 90
– Center for crisis accommodation of homeless people – Zaharna Fabrika r.d., bldg. 51A, phone: 0889 048 060
– Center for crisis accommodation of homeless people – Zaharna Fabrika r.d, bldg. 48A, phone: 0889 048 060
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Plovdiv:
Temporary Accommodation Center „Priyot“ – Mladost r.d., 33 Radko Dimitriev str., building G, phone: 032/219 181
– Temporary Accommodation Home „Dobrolyubie“ – 106 Tsarigradsko Shose Blvd., phone: 032/634 405
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Varna:
– Temporary shelter – residential building Pobeda, 7 Petko Stainov Str., „Anastasia Dr. Zhelezkova“ Social Professional Training Centre – wing „A“ of the dormitory, phone: 052/820 115
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Burgas:
– Temporary Accommodation Center – Akatsii r.d. district, 5 Kitka str.
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Ruse:
– „Dobriyat Samariyanin“ Shelter – 25 Trakia Street, phone: 0884 314 155, 0882 500 021, 082/500 021, 082/373 619
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Dobrich:
– Temporary Accommodation Center – Shipka str.
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Vidin:
- Temporary Accommodation Center – 17 Iskar St., phone: 094/601 643
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Vratsa:
- Temporary Accommodation Center – located in the former school „David Todorov“, Dabnika r.d.
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Silistra:
– Temporary Accommodation Center – 5 Bogdan Voivoda Street, phone: 086/821 495
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Lom:
– Temporary Accommodation Center – Zornitsa r.d., 9 K. Chalan street, phone: 0917/602 86
Shelter for homeless people and temporary accommodation center in Bratsigovo:
– Temporary Accommodation Center – 21A, Prevren street, phone: 0355/23 13
Regardless of whether you feel like helping the homeless or not, if you see a person in a helpless state on the street, call tel.: 112.
