BMA: Minister Okoliyski's claims regarding screening are untrue

The claims made by the caretaker Minister of Health, Assoc. Prof. Mikhail Okoliyski, regarding the algorithms for colorectal and cervical cancer screening programs are incorrect. This was stated in a position released by the Bulgarian Medical Association.

We recall that at a press conference, the Minister stated that the BMA provided the Ministry of Health with two algorithms based on best European practices, but they contained elements that did not follow the logic of state interest, only that of medical specialists. “A private company, Center for European Health Policies Ltd—owned by two other private firms—suddenly appears there. This Center has been authorized and tasked with taking steps for market research to create part of the procedures in this algorithm, which was developed in good faith by the Bulgarian Medical Association. All of this will be reviewed because we cannot move toward the effective implementation of these two screening programs in this manner… The results of the tests conducted under the programs must be entered in real time. However, it turned out that they will not be entered directly into the NHIS, but into an information system created by the Center for European Health Policies,” said Assoc. Prof. Okoliyski.

Here is the full text of the BMA’s position:

The Bulgarian Medical Association categorically rejects the claim made by the Minister of Health, Assoc. Prof. Mikhail Okoliyski, during a briefing at the Ministry of Health, that the algorithms for the National Screening Programs for colorectal and cervical cancer for the 2025–2030 period stipulate that test results “must be entered into a system created by the Center for European Health Policies instead of the National Health Information System.”

Such a proposal does not exist in the algorithms developed by the Bulgarian Medical Association. This raises the legitimate question of whether the Minister of Health was misled by false or incomplete information that does not correspond to the content of the official documents.

The algorithms explicitly and unequivocally state that participant data and test results are to be entered solely into the National Health Information System (NHIS). The screening algorithms for cervical and colorectal cancer clearly regulate that the inclusion of a participant in the program is carried out by a general practitioner or a specialist after a medical consultation, the issuance of an outpatient sheet, and a signed informed consent, after which the patient is registered in the NHIS with the necessary data—identification, age, gender, risk factors, and screening code. Following laboratory analysis, the test results must be entered into the NHIS by a medical professional in the clinical laboratory.

It is particularly alarming that such false claims are being made by the very institution that should guarantee the transparency and professional nature of health policies. It is unacceptable for the high institutional level of the Ministry of Health to disseminate information that does not correspond to the content of official documents and misleads both the medical community and the public.

The algorithms for the national screening programs for cervical and colorectal cancer were developed by experts from the Bulgarian Medical Association in accordance with European guidelines and the recommendations of the WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. They regulate a clear organization of the process—from the inclusion of participants, through diagnostics and laboratory analysis, to reporting and tracking results in the NHIS. The documents are publicly available on the Bulgarian Medical Association’s website.

The role of the Center for European Health Policies is entirely expert and methodological. The Center supports the adaptation of European standards, the development of analytical frameworks, the training of health professionals, and the analysis of program results, but it has no function in entering or administering medical data.

The algorithms exist. They were developed by experts from the Bulgarian Medical Association in accordance with European standards and are publicly available on the official BMA website – here.

Attempts to replace their content with insinuations are unacceptable. The Bulgarian Medical Association will not allow the devaluation of the expert work of Bulgarian doctors or the distortion of facts on a topic of such vital importance to the health of Bulgarian citizens.