TOURage Good Practice for Senior tourism
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Good Practice
1 Title of the practice
BALNEO TOURISM IN POMORIE
Special Health Programmes in the “SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL FOR REHABILLITATION- NK”, Health
Centre “St. George” and Sanatorium for balneology, rehabilitation and prophylactics - Pomorie
2 Location (country, region/municipality)
BULGARIA, SOUTHEAST REGION/BURGAS DISTRICT, POMORIE MUNICIPALITY
3 Contact information
“SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL FOR REHABILLITATION- NK”, 7, Prof. Parashkev Stoyanov, Str., 8200
Pomorie, Bulgaria, Tel : +359 596/ 2 52 92, +359 596/ 2 41 50, Fax: +359 596/ 2 61 03, e-mail:
pomorie@rehabilitation.bg
NSRC St George POMORIE - 15, Targovska, Str. 8200 Pomorie, Bulgaria; Tel.: +359 596 2 5180,
Fax: 00359 596 2 2327
4 Other interesting information (website, documents with www link: reports, presentations,
events etc.)
http://www.nzsrpomorie.org/
http://www.rehabilitation.bg/en-filiali-pomorie.php
http://rehabilitation.bg/20110808-rehabilitation-us-programi-pomorie-en.pdf
5 Details of the practice
5.1 Origin (organization etc.)
The GP is delivered by a group of state owned hospitals and sanatoria all over Bulgaria that are
united in the company „Specialized Hospitals for Rehabilitation – National Complex”, National
Insurance Institute and Ministry of Health in Bulgaria.
It gives opportunity for old people with special needs to use twice a year the so-called „clinical
path”, i.e. 7 days special treatment in the hospital that is paid partially by the patient, and
partially by the state. They receive FB and 3 medical treatments a day.
Another programme gives opportunity for employed people with special needs to stay 10 – 15
days a year in the respective sanatoria (providing treatment for specified diseases) or hotels that
have contracts with the National Insurance Institute paying just a part of the amount for their
stay. They receive FB and 4-5 medical treatments a day.
The Specialised National Centre „St. George” (NSRC) for people with disabilities. They stay in the
cetre and use the medical treatment in the specialised hospital for rehabilitation.
NSRC - Pomorie has two parts. NSRC Pomorie - Center 1 - Main building offers: hotel, including
23 double rooms, 2 suites, 2 single rooms and a penthouse; Ground floor with reception;
Conference room with multimedia; Elevator adapted for people with disabilities wheelchair;
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TOURage Good Practice for Senior tourism
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Restaurant with winter and summer garden; Swimming pool with Jacuzzi; Fitness; Rooms are
situated on two floors and sanitary facilities for them are adapted for people with disabilities.
NSRC Pomorie - Center 1 is a five-storey building and includes:
- Hotel with 16 double rooms, 2 suites - studio type and 1 Presidential suite; Ground floor with
reception and lobby bar; Conference room, Elevator adapted for people with disabilities and
wheelchair adapted rooms for people with disabilities;
The Specialized Hospitals for Rehabilitation – National Complex EAD (SBR – NK EAD) is the
leader in the physical and rehabilitation medicine applying recognized medical standards in
combination with natural resources. The Company has no analogue within the system of health
care of the Republic of Bulgaria, composed of 13 specialized rehabilitation hospitals located on
the territory of the whole country at recognized balneotherapy resorts. SBR–NK EAD offers a wide
range of physiological and rehabilitation methods of treatment at its specialized hospitals. Natural
and remedial factors such as the climate, mineral water, curative mud in combination with
instrumental physiotherapy, kinesitherapy are being applied. At the hospital work highly qualified
medical staff with rich experience and modern equipment. Thus they guarantee durable positive
results and favourable effect in the treatment of various diseases for adults and children.
The rehabilitation hospital at the town of Pomorie is situated at 500 m from the centre of the
town, being the biggest centre for mud-therapy on the Balkan Peninsula with a capacity of 1000
mud-treatment procedures a day. It is located at 100 m from the sea coast at the bank of a salt
lake. The wonderful combination of such wealth with the sea and the modern base for medical
treatment with high-qualified staff makes it an attractive place for healing and respite of
thousands of Bulgarian and foreign people.
5.2 Timescale (implementation period, continuous + starting time)
The GP is implemented all the year round.
In 1966, an organizational structure was established to the Ministry of Health – Sanitary Resort
Directorate /SRD/ the composition of which are included the sanatoriums located at resorts of
national importance / now they are a part of the “SBR – NK EAD/. Thus, the development of the
balneology was put on scientific grounds – specialization of the sanatoriums was made in
compliance with the mineral water physicochemical characteristics /or curative mud/ and the
natural-climatic factors; at each sanatorium modern balneo-therapeutical links are being created
and equipped with physiotherapeutic apparatuses, new treatment methods are being introduced,
a continued process of qualification and training of the medical and non-medical staff who take
directly part in the remedial-rehabilitation process was conducted. The infrastructure is being
built in view of conducting the physical prophylactics, as well as efforts are being made for
improving the comfort of the hotel part. In compliance with the Medical Institution Act, in 2000
the SRD was transformed in a trade company – a specialized hospital with branches all over the
country, the regulatory system of which is in full correspondence with the normative
requirements to the medical institutions.
In the recent years, considerable financial resources were invested in all branches in view of the
infrastructure improvement, as well as reconstruction of buildings which have not been
constructed in the past with sufficiently comfortable conditions was made, and the existing were
replaced by modern medical equipment. All this, together with the high-qualified staff available
and the good organization are factors for development of the specialized hospitals as high
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
efficient links both for treatment and rehabilitation of different types of diseases and for
conducting primary and secondary prophylactic.
5.3 Financing (budget, sources)
SBR–NK EAD is a 100% state-owned company and the principal is the Ministry of Health.
Financial sources from National Social Security Institute.
5.4 Legal Framework (if applicable)
N/A
5.5 Bodies involved in implementation, partners
Ministry of Health
National Social Security Institute
National Health Insurance Fund
“SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL FOR REHABILLITATION- NK” EAD
SHR-NK- Brunch Pomorie
5.6 Target groups, beneficiaries
People with the following health problems: Locomotors system diseases: artrosis arthritis, posttrauma and post-fracture state; Diseases of peripheral and central nervous system: neuritis,
radiculitis, disc disease, paresis, children’s cerebral paralysis; Diseases of female reproductive
system: sterility, dysmenorrheal, ovarian hypo function, parameters; Diseases of the male
reproductive system: prostatitis, oligospermy, epididymitis, vesiculitis; Dermal diseases: psoriasis
with psoriatic arthritis, trophic dermal ulcers, scleroderma; Respiratory system diseases:
bronchitis, sinusitis; Prophylactics: The sea-climatic factors are widely used for general
prophylactics of the respiratory system diseases, hypertonic disease, as well as for body
strengthening and gaining in health.
6 Precise theme/issues tackled by the practice (problems/challenges/why this project?)
Pomorie is situated on a narrow, rocky peninsula, 20 km from Bourgas and 18 km from Sunny
Beach. The climate is extremely favorable. The resort has a cool summer, the average
temperature of the air and water is 23.6 ° C. Conditions are suitable for recreation from May to
October. Before sunrise the air is saturated with ozone and negative ions, ultraviolet rays and
water vapor, which favors the treatment of upper respiratory tract. The sand is suitable for
making hot sunbathing. Heat to about 60 ° C and is rich in iron oxides and salts. Pomorie curative
mud in one of the best in Europe.
The main patients and visitors of the hospital are elderly people. The health programs are offered
also to foreign tourists who spend their holidays in Pomorie. All year round health services
provided in the hospital helps for the employment of the municipality and to reduce the seasonal
character of the tourism in Pomorie.
7 Objectives of the practice
The rehabilitation hospital in Pomorie is the biggest center for mud-therapy on the Balkan
Peninsula. The capacity of the center is 180 beds allocated in 90 rooms:
- 4 apartments – renovated, - 44 renovated rooms with 2 beds (І А* category), - 22 rooms with 2
beds (ІА category), - 20 rooms with 2 beds (І category).
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Individual healing programs are prescribed to the patients, depending on the clinical,
laboratory, roentgen and echographic data.
- The Lyman curative mud is taken from the Pomorie lake bottom, being rich in sulphuretted
hydrogen, magnesium, chlorides, calcium, potassium, sodium, ferrous compounds, hormones,
etc. The mud-therapy has a proven anti-inflammatory and anesthetic effect, stimulating the
metabolic processes of organism. The lake water comes from the Pomorie Lake. It covers the
curative mud with a chemical content close to the liquid mud phase and to the sea water. It is
used for Water Lake and mud baths having very good curative effect.
The mud-therapy is applied in the form of: - Applications; - Baths / mud and lake water/; Cavitations method /vaginal and rectal tampon/; - Egyptian /outdoor mud-therapy/.
- Lye – it is the end product from the salt production in the Pomorie salt mines, having by many
times higher concentration of all elements of the sea and lake water. It has anti-inflammatory and
anti-septic effect. The following therapies are applied: lye-phoresis, inhalations, compresses.
The patients can stay in the hospital under different programs:
- Programs covered by the National Health Insurance Fund- for people that have paid their
compulsory health insurances for more than 36 months.
- Programs covered by the National Social Security Institute.
- Programs for veterans, disabled soldiers, war victims.
- Programs for disabled people.
8 Connection to developing ageing tourism
- Services are offered mainly to aging people;
- Possibilities for health services to foreign patients.
9 Evaluation (demonstrated results: indicators, success factors, difficulties, lessons learned)
Success factors and indicators:
- increased employment opportunities in the area;
- increased sources of income for local people;
- New services;
- decreased the seasonal of character of tourism in the municipality;
Difficulties:
- Transport infrastructure needs rehabilitation;
- Foreign language barriers;
- Lack of sufficient finances to improve the accessibility for disabled people in the town;
10 Transferability of the practices (to other country, region, municipality: is it transferable?
already transferred? possible constrains and possible success factors to be taken into account?)
The GP can be transferred to other countries, regions or municipalities with spa and balneo
resorts.
Possible constrains:
financial difficulties;
coordination between institutions;
Possible success factors:
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TOURage Good Practice for Senior tourism
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
improved health of old people – regular profilactics prevents the diseases;
higher occupancy of hotels and sanatoria;
higher employment in the areas.
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