Minister Ivkova to the BMA: Cancer screening is among my priorities

The Minister of Health, Katya Ivkova, held a meeting with the leadership of the Bulgarian Medical Association, where priority healthcare policies were discussed, including organized cancer screening, telemedicine, and the quality of medical services.

Representing the Ministry of Health at the meeting were Chief of Staff Irena Borisova and the Director of the Public Health Directorate, Iliya Tasev. The BMA was represented by Chairman Dr. Nikolay Branzalov, Deputy Chairman Dr. Ivan Madzharov, and Secretary General Dr. Valentin Peev.

The main focus of the conversation was the organization of national screening for cervical cancer and colorectal cancer.

“Cancer screening, as a method of secondary prevention, is among my priorities,” stated Minister Ivkova. According to her, the programs must be developed in accordance with European Union recommendations for early cancer detection and long-term prevention.

She cited the United Kingdom as an example, where national screening programs have been developed and upgraded over decades.

According to Ivkova, Bulgaria must also build a sustainable model to be applied annually and consistently in order to reduce late-diagnosed cases and improve treatment outcomes.

The Minister further noted that a review is currently being conducted of the documentation related to the algorithms developed by the BMA, as well as the two national screening programs published for public consultation.

The Bulgarian Medical Association expressed readiness to assist with expertise in the implementation of the screening programs.

During the meeting, the regulation on telemedicine, the continuing education of physicians, and the possibility of introducing a mechanism for assessing the quality of medical services were also discussed.