title: Snapshot of fortunes.
abstract: Bulgaria The financial crisis has affected the healthcare system in Bulgaria 'very severely', according to the European Federation of Nurses Association report. Following government elections in 2009, salaries for nurses and midwives fell to a monthly average of ¤220 (£175). In 2010 at least 836 nurses migrated to other countries and about 1,000 left the profession. Smaller hospitals have closed and many Bulgarians are without health insurance. 'Nurses in Bulgaria cannot establish a high quality of care because of the reduced staff, low motivation and low salary,' says the report.