MBAL "Cardiolife" is one of the first private he alth facilities in our country. Increasing the capacity of the hospital against the backdrop of the increasingly deteriorating state of Bulgarian he althcare is reason enough to ask, what is the formula for success? This is how Dr. Varban Stoyanov - head of the cardiology department at the hospital answered the questions of Lovechnews.bg
– Dr. Stoyanov, is there a formula for success and if so, what is it?
-Of course there is. With us, it is expressed in the constant pursuit of high-tech medicine at any cost, with one single goal, namely improving the quality of treatment. I can safely say that in terms of our technological base, we are equal to leading clinics in Sofia.
– Give us examples
-Currently, we have the most high-tech equipment for cardiology treatment in the entire area, and not only. This is also the reason why people feel the quality of treatment from the first days of admission to the hospital. In the near future, we will put into operation already purchased equipment for the treatment of high-grade hypertension, that is, for patients with high blood pressure values, despite the maximum therapy being carried out. Since last year, we have purchased a device with which the so-called renal denervation will be performed, that is, non-drug treatment of arterial pressure. With the future opening of neurology, we will also cover the patients who have narrowing of the carotid arteries, giving them the corresponding treatment by placing a stand. In two words, we expand the activity depending on the specialists we have at our disposal. These treatment methods are already applied in the "Cardiolife" clinic in Varna, and the good results we achieve there give us absolute confidence in the right direction we are going. This is the moment to say that the device we have is the second of its kind in Bulgaria.
– I understand from your words that there will be a major expansion of the hospital ?
-Yes, at the beginning of next year, the establishment will be equipped and the endocrinology and gastroenterology will function. The purchase of equipment for endoscopic surgery is also pending, which is currently the latest in technology. Just for comparison, the big specialists in Sofia work with equipment that is two levels below the one I'm talking about.
I would like to point out that we work according to the generally accepted high standards of European treatment, exclusively adhering to the so-called European recommendations for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. We strictly follow them and there has never been any question of any type of improvisation in the treatment of our patients. We are constantly witnessing misdiagnoses, improper treatments, which is the reason for some of the recent attacks on our class. Such compromises are not made here, and that is why we do not come to such paradoxes.
– Tell us a few words about the hospital staff
-We have 40 staff members, 4 of whom are specialized staff, 3 cardiologists, 3 of whom are also licensed in invasive cardiology, and we also have colleagues who are currently acquiring this speci alty. We also have a gastroendocrinologist, an anesthesiologist, X-ray laboratory technicians, with a tendency to expand the composition to 100 personnel in the nearest future. That is until the end of next year, when we anticipate having completed the expansion that we talked about a little while ago. It will go in proportion to the increasing number of patients.
– You say rising number, what is the exact number of passing patients in a month
-About 140, with the number constantly growing.
But I want to add one more innovation that we are about to push together with the emergency medical center. Remote diagnosis of a patient by cardiogram and vital signs is about to be introduced. This will be done with the help of special equipment, which will be placed in the more distant places - Troyan, Lukovit. Thanks to this innovation, if a myocardial infarction is suspected, a cardiogram is taken at the location of the patient, which is directly sent online to us and we immediately give a diagnosis, which saves a lot of time. By the time the patient arrives at us, the team has already prepared everything necessary for the medical intervention. This is extremely important for a patient with a myocardial infarction - the time for which he reaches the specific treatment of the disease. This often decides his life. A pilot project is also expected to be launched soon to place electronic equipment on the patient, and this equipment can stay for weeks, even months, during which time we, on our monitors, can monitor his condition and make a diagnosis. Again, this is a pilot project that we will most likely be involved in, because as I said before, we are pursuing high-tech medicine at all costs.
– How do you deal with one of the main challenges facing he althcare facilities, namely the lack of experts ?
-I won't hide it, it's hard, but at this stage we're succeeding. Our specialists are proven and have gained their experience in some of the best hospitals, and I think that this is a very good thing, because it is high time that highly specialized activities were moved from Sofia to the countryside. This reminds me to say that we are working hard to address this issue as well. Very soon we will receive accreditation for staff training. Cardiolife will be a training base for young specialists who want to continue their development here.
– The layout of the hospital is really impressive. What conditions do you offer patients?
-The conditions are more than decent, which is an understatement. The rooms have 2 and 3 beds each, with a private bathroom, with an extremely high level of hygiene, because in our opinion there is no medicine without hygiene. Out of a total of 21 beds that we have, 6 are intensive and have 24-hour monitoring, with a constant medical presence.
– Dr. Stoyanov, we cannot ignore a very deep topic about the bankruptcy in which the Loveshka Hospital is located. Quite often, the name of "Cardiolife" is also included in the exercise on the subject. Do you have any comment ?
-I am very glad that you are raising this issue because your colleagues, for some reason, never once came to hear our view on the matter, to ask their questions, as they say, facts should always be checked on both sides before the conclusion is stated.
– Yes, the topic is probably quite broad and this requires a separate interview, but I have a quick question coming up right away with a sneaky claim about your license. Do you cover all the conditions, I am talking about the purely normative ones, it is obvious that you cover all the others in full?
-I agree with you and suggest that the next such interview be with the owner of "Cardiolife", Mr. Stefanov, who can most accurately answer absolutely all questions. I am sure that he will have something to say and will give unexpected answers to the public, which until now no one has looked for. And as for the license, I will be extremely brief. I am giving you a copy of it so that anyone who helps steal these doubts can clearly see on what basis we are licensed as a general hospital.
I agree with you that we are accused of many things, but our only fault is that we work in the interest of the patient.
