Assoc. Prof. Okoliyski: Prices for Cervical and Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests Are Inflated

Potentially inflated prices for cervical and colorectal cancer screening tests were identified during a review of existing public procurement contracts at the Ministry of Health. This was announced by the caretaker minister, Assoc. Prof. Mikhail Okoliyski, during a briefing following a Council of Ministers meeting, alongside Deputy Minister of Finance Georgi Klisurski.

According to Assoc. Prof. Okoliyski, a review was conducted of both finalized contracts and procedures currently in the announcement phase. Among them is a large-scale public procurement related to the screening of two socially significant diseases—cervical cancer, including conditions caused by HPV infection, and colorectal cancer.

“What we have established is a hypothesis that the prices for these diagnostic tools for both diseases are significantly inflated,” stated Assoc. Prof. Okoliyski. He emphasized that while early diagnosis is key to successful treatment, it is equally important that public resources are used effectively and transparently.

The procurement has already been finalized, but an additional audit is currently being conducted in cooperation with the Public Financial Inspection Agency (PFIA) and other competent authorities to evaluate its expediency and economic justification.

For his part, Georgi Klisurski provided estimated calculations, according to which tests with approximate market prices of €2–3 were included in the procurement’s estimated value at levels of €30–35. “The difference is substantial and remains to be clarified,” he noted.

The total estimated value of the procurement is approximately €10 million. According to the Ministry of Finance, if a significant price discrepancy is confirmed, it could represent an opportunity to optimize costs or to cover a significantly larger number of people within the same budget.

Assoc. Prof. Okoliyski added that upon completion of the audit, and should evidence of irregularities be found, the materials may be submitted to the competent authorities for further action.