After thousands of problems one of the most unfortunate of Healthcare Ministry projects – for cancer screening Stop and Check, financed under the Human Resources Development Operational Programme, received the green light to be carried out. At the beginning of the year, former Healthcare Minister Dr. Stefan Konstantinov once again assured us that effective cancer prevention programme is about to begin. Subsequently, however, all procurement projects were halted after the Bulgarian Association of Pathology signal to the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor’s Office and the European Anti-Fraud Office concerning its doubts about the targets and the proper use of funds. Pathologists have argued that a similar screening programme of health insurance was terminated deliberately to absorb EU millions.
Meanwhile appears National Programme for primary prevention of cervical cancer (2012-2016), which this and next year will have to spend BGN4 million on vaccination, training and information campaign. The Healthcare Ministry launched another onko screaning, programme on which it provided to BGN20 million.
For the money, according to the old project, a check in doctor’s offices will be given had to switch to 250,000 women. Sure, it is absolutely logical, that the fight against insidious disease is a priority, not least because it ranks second in Europe in morbidity and mortality. And the sum seems to be enough, if of course the millions are allocated to the same activity from two different channels, and do not sink without trace into the depths of Bulgaria’s healthcare system. And the latter scenario seems entirely possible after the healthcare ministry can afford to set aside BGN3 million massive on information campaigns such as Stop and Check instead of giving a larger amount to practical work. The entity selected to perform the task is Active Group LTD. The Company undertakes to make PR and advertising campaign against BGN1.6 million a month ago and its representatives were summoned to the healthcare department to renew the contract on the agreed financial parameters shown in the reference by the Public Procurement Agency. Active Group however has refused to accept the offer without a tender, probably because the new conditions for the promotion of the programme are not that favourable.
