Heart-surgery report stayed in Health Ministry archives, not sent to prosecutors
The expert reports — domestic and foreign — found multiple unnecessary interventions, but the documents remain classified and unavailable to the current minister.
A report into alleged unnecessary heart operations has not reached prosecutors and, according to ministry sources, remains filed in the archives of the Ministry of Health.
What the probes found
The case began after cardiologist Sashko Kedev publicly claimed that some private hospitals performed unnecessary cardiac procedures to claim state funds. The Ministry of Health ordered extraordinary inspections and set up domestic and foreign expert commissions, and citizens were asked to submit complaints.
In November 2025 a domestic expert team reviewed 19 cardiac procedures and confirmed suspicions that 10 of them were unnecessary. A later foreign commission examined 13 cases and concluded that nine interventions had been unnecessary while four were justified.
Former minister Azir Aliu launched the investigation. The current Health Minister, Sasho Klekovski, says he has not seen the report because he does not yet have the required security clearance. He added he will state his position once he has access. "You will have to ask the previous minister because that was his decision. It was considered at a closed session of the Government and, basically, access to it is limited to those who have a security certificate. As director of the Health Fund I did not feel I needed a security certificate and I do not possess one; I have now submitted documents. This is a national security procedure that must be completed. Once I obtain the certificate I will familiarize myself with the case. My personal view is that, apart from the protection of personal data and patients' health data, there is nothing that should be hidden in professional inspections, because this is a professional review," said Sasho Klekovski, Minister of Health.
Cardiologist Sashko Kedev later resigned from the Ministry of Health's advisory council, citing frustration with delays and the lack of finalisation and delivery of the commissions' reports.
Citizens and patients continue to wait for a clear outcome from the prosecution, while the fact that the expert report has been classified and remains in ministry archives raises fresh questions about transparency in the oversight process.
Photo: press material from the event
