site.btaHealth Minister Reports Overpricing in Two Public Procurement Procedures at Health Ministry

Speaking at a news briefing at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, caretaker Health Minister Michail Okoliyski said that significant overpricing had been identified in two public procurement procedures at the Ministry of Health.

The minister said that both finalized public procurement procedures and those currently being prepared had been reviewed. “What we found was a very large public procurement contract related to research and screening for two extremely important conditions - cervical cancer and diseases caused by HPV infection, as well as colorectal cancer,” Okoliyski said. Although funding has already been secured, findings suggest that the prices set for the tests are excessively high, he added. 

Okoliyski stressed the importance of early cancer detection, noting that timely screening of this kind can save lives. “Public funds should not be spent on something that is not effective. Although the procurement procedure has been completed, we are now reviewing it jointly with the Public Financial Inspection Agency and other relevant bodies to assess its effectiveness and appropriateness,“ he added. 

He added that the ministry’s concerns about inflated test prices were prompted by data from a campaign conducted by the Tsotsorkov Foundation, which he described as highly successful. During that campaign, the cost of testing materials was carefully calculated. In contrast, the prices outlined in the public procurement appear to be several times higher. The ministry will investigate the reasons behind the increase and seek to address any irregularities, he said. The minister also stressed the need to expand participation in the national screening programme to include as many men and women as possible, as cancer prevention remains a key priority under the National Cancer Control Plan. According to Okoliyski, progress on the plan has stalled in recent years and efforts will now be stepped up. The procurement procedure will be forwarded to the Public Financial Inspection Agency and subsequently to the prosecution service for further review.

Caretaker Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski said that the market price of the tests ranges between EUR 2 and EUR 3, whereas the public procurement lists estimated prices of EUR 30 to EUR 35 per test. ”There is a tenfold difference, and it is essential to establish the exact reason for this discrepancy,” he said. If the actual price is indeed EUR 2–3 and the total contract is valued at EUR 10 million, this would mean that either EUR 9 million has been spent unnecessarily or that ten times more people could have been tested with the same funds, he added. 

Okoliyski also raised concerns about another public procurement contract signed on the final day of the previous cabinet’s term, covering security services for all Ministry of Health subunits. He noted that the contract was awarded through direct negotiation rather than a fully transparent procedure, making it ineffective. The minister added that the tender would be re-announced in full compliance with transparency rules and with the participation of all potential bidders.