The "Nationals 94" Foundation recently held a two-day golf tournament, the aim of which was to support the activities of the National Cardiology Hospital. The funds raised will be donated to the modernization of the department where children with congenital heart malformations are treated. Dr. Krasimir Dzinsov, executive director of the National Cardiology Hospital (NCH), spoke to FACTI.
- Dr. Dzinsov, the National Cardiology Hospital organized an initiative with the "Nationals 94" Foundation to support the pediatric cardiology clinic at the hospital. How did the whole idea come about and what are you striving for, what do you need?
- The idea was born two or three months ago, when Ventsi Rangelov contacted us with a proposal to do something significant for the hospital. He asked if we needed support and that's how it all started.
- What do you need, what are you aiming for?
- The Pediatric Cardiology Clinic and the Department for Children with Congenital Heart Malformations have excellent specialists and good equipment. But medicine is developing extremely dynamically and new technologies are constantly emerging. The team has focused on several modern devices that would improve care for the youngest patients. What exactly will be purchased, we will decide together with the foundation and the doctors from the clinic. I am sure that we will choose the best for the children.
- How many small patients does the clinic serve per year?
- 800 patients pass through the pediatric cardiology clinic per year, with about 160 of them requiring surgical treatment. Some of the children are also treated interventionally.
- How many specialists work at the clinic and what is the bed capacity?
- The clinic has 21 beds in the inpatient unit and 8 beds in the intensive care unit. Our youngest patients are cared for by 29 doctors and 31 healthcare specialists and healthcare assistants. The Pediatric Cardiology Clinic at the National Cardiology Hospital is the only one in the country that offers comprehensive care for children with congenital and acquired heart diseases - from diagnosis to therapy, be it conservative, interventional or surgical.
- When talking about heart malformation, what problem do doctors most often face?
- The most common challenges are related to early diagnosis, the complexity of surgical interventions and the need for a multidisciplinary approach. Each case is individual and requires precise coordination between different specialists. Among the most common congenital heart malformations are the interventricular, interatrial defect, as well as tetralogy of Fallot. The clinic often treats children with complex heart malformations, requiring a series of surgical and interventional procedures.
- You mentioned that even you - an established cardiology hospital - are experiencing a problem with staff. Are young doctors interested in cardiology?
- The problem with the shortage of medical specialists is not only in our hospital - it is a systemic problem in healthcare throughout the country, but also in Europe. The conditions at the NKB are very good and we are open to young doctors and healthcare specialists who are looking for professional development. The achievements of our residents speak for themselves about the level of training at the hospital.
- Krasimir Balakov and Hristo Stoichkov visited the hospital and got acquainted with the conditions. How did their visit go? Did they also meet the children you care for?
- I would divide the story into “before“ and “after“. Before the visit, for them it was simply a charity initiative. After seeing the hospital and meeting the children and the people who take care of them every day, Krasimir Balakov said that this is now their most important cause for the year. I believe that the National Cardiology Hospital now has a true friend and partner in the person of the Legends and the “Nationals 94“ Foundation. In the final phase of the charity golf tournament near Razlog, we promised ourselves that just as they would support us with whatever they could, so too we - as a hospital - would be there if and when they needed us.