Abstract:

The lack of adequate linguistic services in healthcare could result violations or lack of attention to human rights, which can have serious consequences. Such condition can even cause discrimination in the delivery of health services and violation to fundamental human rights.
Bulgarian national legislation only contains provisions, which set up a responsibility for the treating physician to keep a medical file of the patient, but does not introduce strict obligation for healthcare providers to maintain language services to patients who cannot access the national language.
It is crucial for patients to have full access to information in the course of providing medical care, because this is the only way to be guaranteed the patients’ autonomy.