Nearly BGN 50 M, provided for expensive and life-saving medicines for treatment of cancer and other serious diseases, have not reached the patients, but were used for other purposes, showed a check by the Bulgarian National Audit Office.

The check for the period 2006-2009 included 22 hospitals, the Bulgarian National Radio reported on Monday.

The total number of patients treated in this period was 478 518, with the biggest number being in 2007, while the smallest – in 2006.

The Chair of the Bulgarian National Audit Office, Valeri Dimitrov, announced that the BGN 50 M have been used for paying salaries, compensations and renovations, even though there has been a systematic shortage of life-saving medicines throughout these four years.

"We have established failures in the management of delivery of these medicines. This was a period of three health ministers – Radoslav Gaydarski, Evgeniy Zhelev and Bozhidar Nanev," Dimitrov said.

He added that there have been many cases of delayed or temporarily suspended life-supporting or life-saving treatment of patients in this period.

According to the National Audit Office, a change in the mechanism for prescribing and supply of these medicines is required.

The audit office has given 12 recommendations to the Health Minister Stefan Konstantinov for improving of the ministry's work, including update of internal rules, regulation of the terms for including patients in treatment when there is a waiting list, and making these regulations valid for all hospitals.

Olga Dimitrova, chief auditor and manager of the audit team, has pointed out that Bulgaria still lacks an information system, which would provide control and transparency of the ministry's activities.

In 2005, the National Audit Office recommended the creation of such a system. According to the actual contract for its creation, signed in 2008, the information system had to be ready in 100 days. However, Bulgaria does not have the system yet, although BGN 2.146 M have been paid in advance for its creation.

"The product is not integrated in its final version. The training of the staff is insufficient. Hardware for the work places has not been provided. There is no clear vision for the implementation of the information system in the future," stated the audit report.

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