The National Network for Children has published the text of the Open Letter addressed today by Ani Stoyanova, the mother of Danae, to the Minister of Health. The letter is in response to Minister Hristo Hinkov’s reaction to the billboard campaign in Sofia, which the mother initiated 40 days after her child’s death.
#ForARealChildrensHospital. No more delays, but actions.
Here is the full text of the letter:
To the Minister of Health,
An Open Letter
By Ani Stoyanova
Dear Minister,
On June 17th, I honored the memory of my 15-year-old daughter Danae, 40 days after she passed away.
Following an incident that unfortunately occurred during a series of holidays, my child was unable to receive adequate medical assistance quickly enough to have the best chances of being saved. I cannot stop asking myself questions. One of them is: “If we had a real children’s hospital, would she still be here?”
I do not want this horrific tragedy to pass meaninglessly. That is why I listened carefully to your response in the media regarding the campaign I initiated.
You mentioned a series of decisions that have been made in recent months and expressed your hope that “within a year, we will have the initial construction” of a new children’s hospital.
Dear Prof. Hinkov,
This is not enough.
Over the past 40 years, dozens of health ministers (without exaggeration) have announced and promised a children’s hospital, but it still does not exist to this day. The decisions made in recent months regarding its establishment were insufficiently clear and transparent, and we, as parents and taxpayers, have no guarantees that our hopes will not be dashed once again. That the promises this time will lead to a prompt and high-quality creation of a Real Children’s Hospital.
Therefore, I insist on the following:
- a meeting with you and the experts involved in the project for the establishment of a National Children’s Hospital on an urgent basis;
- the creation, more than a year ago, of a Public Council that guarantees transparency and a leading role of public interest in every stage of the hospital’s establishment;
- a commitment to align the assignment for the construction of a National Children’s Hospital, prepared by a working group, with the findings and recommendations from the analysis of child healthcare conducted with the support of the EIB;
- the earliest possible publication for public discussion of the draft National Strategy for Child and Adolescent Health and Pediatric Care in the Republic of Bulgaria for 2023-2030.
21.06. 2023. With respect, Ani Stoyanova
