Balgarianovinite.com Former health minister Silvi Kirilov dismissed Wednesday claims that prices for screening tests in a public procurement procedure were inflated tenfold.
Kirilov responded to statements by caretaker Health Minister Michail Okoliyski earlier in the day that substantial overpricing had been identified in two Ministry of Health procurement procedures related to contracts for cervical and colorectal cancer research and screening.
Kirilov said the comparisons were between over-the-counter rapid pharmacy tests and the quantitative faecal immunochemical test (FIT) chosen for the national colorectal cancer screening programme. He said they use different technologies and belong to different classes of medical devices. He noted that pharmacy tests are qualitative, rely on a visual readout, and lack automation, calibration and assured laboratory traceability, raising the risk of false results in mass screening.
Kirilov said the quantitative FIT was a top-tier closed laboratory system. It allowed quantitative measurement, setting threshold values, used a standardized sampling system and met clinical laboratory requirements for automation and quality control. He added it outperformed gFOBT in specificity and clinical performance and did not require dietary restrictions. Kirilov said it was the internationally recommended standard under European guidelines, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Kirilov said the Bulgarian Medical Association (BMA) had developed programme implementation algorithms that, for the first time in Bulgaria, met all European criteria and aligned with the IARC and WHO roadmap. He added they were presented at the 3rd EU Cancer Screening Report Workshop in February 2026.
He said the procedure was conducted under the Public Procurement Act, using the lowest-price criterion. The price covered all costs and was fixed for the term of the contract. Kirilov added there was no legal requirement for reference pricing for this class of devices.
Kirilov said a markup could be claimed only when comparing identical products with comparable characteristics, and no such comparison had been presented.
He added that colorectal cancer screening was a public health measure aimed at reducing mortality and that the national programme was grounded in international standards and scientific evidence, not simplistic price insinuations. Former Health Minister Kirilov Rejects Tenfold Price Claims 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-25 19:21:52 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law