Bulgaria halts cancer screening programme, claiming high test costs

Sofia’s new caretaker government has suspended the implementation of a programme to buy screening tests for cervical and colorectal cancer, citing excessively high unit prices.

The programme, worth €10.4 million, was launched two years ago as part of efforts to tackle Bulgaria’s high cancer mortality. However, according to health authorities, the agreed price per test is up to ten times the market rate for the required products.

“With a total contract value of €10 million, it turns out that €9 million would have been spent unnecessarily – or ten times more people could have been tested for the same amount,” caretaker Health Minister Mihail Okoliyski said.

He added that the public procurement procedure for the purchase of the ‘expensive’ tests has been finalised but is currently under review by the State Financial Inspection Agency and other oversight bodies to assess its appropriateness. Prosecutors may also become involved at a later stage of the…