In the coming days, the Parliamentary He alth Committee will prepare a reasoned proposal to the Minister of He alth, in which it will be insisted that the activity in the field of deep brain stimulation in patients with resistant and severe Parkinson's disease be evaluated and to seek options for providing their treatment in our country. This was stated today during a round table in the capital by the Deputy Chairman of the He alth Care Commission of the National Assembly Prof. Georgi Kyuchukov.
Until now in hospital "St. Ivan Rilski" in Sofia, 18 patients were successfully operated on using this method, who, however, paid for the medical device themselves - a "system for deep brain stimulation" - costing around 21,000 euros. At the same time, the NHIF sends patients abroad for the same therapy at a price 2 to 3 times more expensive than in Bulgaria. 30 patients with Parkinson's are waiting for the decision of the Fund where they will be able to receive treatment paid by the NHIF - in Bulgaria or abroad? According to medical data based on the Bulgarian patients operated on so far, their condition improves between 60 and 70%, and their drug therapy decreases between 40 and 60%.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the National He alth Insurance Fund Petko Kenanov, the Chief Secretary of the BLS Dr. Lenkov, representatives of patient organizations, as well as the team of the hospital "St. Ivan Rilski" - Dr. Krasimir Minkin and Dr. Kaloyan Gabrovski and the director of the hospital Dr. Decho Dechev.
"We will insist that a pharmaco-economic analysis of the drug treatment of these patients be made and, after the medical and economic effect of deep brain stimulation has been proven, that the approach to this group of patients be revised," added Prof. Kyuchukov.
There are approximately 12,000 Parkinson's disease patients in Bulgaria, 5% of them have a resistant form of the disease. Their drug treatment, which has no particular effect, is worth about BGN 70,000 per year. At the same time, an intervention with the method of deep brain stimulation costs about BGN 40,000 and has a long-lasting positive effect, according to specialists.
On Monday - February 2, the "He alth Protection Confederation" will submit a letter to the National He alth Insurance Fund to review the financing of this therapy in our country. There are already patients suing the NHIF.
