Trainee doctors in clinical specialties on state-funded places will get at least €1,550.50 a month. The rule comes from changes to Ordinance No. 1 of 2015 on gaining a specialty in the health system, published in the State Gazette.

The rule applies from today. Until now, the ordinance set pay at 2.5 times the national minimum wage.

A few days ago, health minister Katya Ivkova told reporters that trainee doctors on state-ordered places are offered €1,550.

The text on an online portal for trainees takes effect on 2 November. The health ministry builds and runs the portal, which is part of the National Health Information System.

Ivkova said the portal already works technically, but the rules must change before it can be used in full.

The portal lists all announced vacancies for trainees in clinical specialties, and the competitions for them under the Labour Code. It also shows places in non-clinical specialties, and places for people with a professional qualification as a doctor of dental medicine, which universities and other higher schools determine. The schedule of theory classes under the study programmes, and the fees set by universities and other higher schools, are in the same place. Every registered trainee also has an electronic training logbook there.