Hristijan Kostov, manager of the 8th of September hospital, denied the report that doctors were physically assaulted yesterday by the family of a deceased patient, insisting that it was merely a verbal incident.

Kostov also insists that the doctors were not protesting in front of his office this morning, saying that he invited them there to discuss the incident.

According to Kostov, it was a patient with heart and kidney issues, who was admitted in the early afternoon and died late in the evening. The family staged an incident, prompting the security to call the police. It was the latest in a series of assaults by patients on doctors, but also, in one instance, by a doctor against a patient. The incidents are sparked by dissatisfaction with the care that is provided and the long waiting times.

Some families react in a composed way when a loved one dies, others get aggressive. We have a police report and you can approach them for any additional details, Kostov said.

The family refused the request for an autopsy and removed the body from the hospital, but Kostov said that the police and the court will discuss it with the family.