New high-tech equipment expands the possibilities for diagnostics and treatment at the National Cardiology Hospital. The modernization creates a modern environment for the treatment of children and adults and expands the possibilities of specialists in key medical fields. What does this mean for patients… Dr. Krasimir Jinsov, director of the National Cardiology Hospital (NCH), spoke to FACTS.
– Dr. Jinsov, you are introducing another phased modernization of the National Cardiology Hospital with extremely modern equipment. What will this change for patients?
– The National Cardiology Hospital is modernizing its material base and expanding its capabilities for high-tech diagnostics and treatment with new medical equipment and renovated specialized premises. Our main goal is to create a modern environment for both patients and medical specialists, with special attention being paid to the development of our capabilities for treating children. We are the only medical institution in the country that provides comprehensive care for children with congenital heart malformations, and this is one of our main priorities.
The project we are implementing is aimed at the delivery, assembly and installation of high-tech medical equipment with a pediatric focus. In parallel, the necessary construction and installation works were carried out and the infrastructure was prepared to allow this equipment to operate and be used under the necessary conditions, taking into account the needs of our specialists and medical teams.
– What is the framework in which this project is being implemented?
– The renovation activities were carried out under the program and with funds from the EC Recovery and Resilience Mechanism. The project proposal was prepared as an investment for “Modernization of Hospital Facilities”, and the total value of the project is 1,517,419.43 euros. The funding is from the European Union – NextGenerationEU, and other hospitals also participate in it, but the potential of the program is enormous.
– What are the main sites that have been renovated or prepared for the new equipment?
– We worked on six main sites. These are rooms for a biplane and monoplane angiograph, for a computed tomography scanner, for a digital graphic X-ray, for a digital C-arm X-ray system, as well as reconstruction of the electrical equipment in the substation.
This is not just a supply of equipment. In high-tech medicine, there must be an appropriate environment in which it can be installed and operate safely and effectively.
– What new opportunities will the biplane angiograph provide?
– This is one of the most important facilities, especially in terms of pediatric cardiology. The room is prepared for a biplane angiograph with ultrasound and 3D navigation, which will be available to the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic.
The biplane technology allows us to obtain images from different projections simultaneously. This is extremely important for complex interventional procedures, because it gives doctors much better visualization and the opportunity for more precise work. In the future, this room can also be developed as a hybrid operating room. That is why it is located in the operating block and is in close proximity to the operating rooms of pediatric cardiac surgery. This will allow us to combine different approaches in the treatment of young patients.
– Are there new opportunities in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias?
– Yes. Another key facility is the room for a monoplane angiograph, which is designed for work in the field of invasive electrophysiology. The new equipment will support the performance of electrophysiological studies and catheter ablations for various types of cardiac arrhythmias.
This is important for both adults and children. The equipment will be available to the Department of Invasive Electrophysiology at the Cardiology Clinic, and along with the delivery and installation, the necessary renovation of the room was also carried out.
– What is being improved in the room for implanting cardiac devices?
– This is also a very important part of the modernization. The operating room, where cardiac electronic devices are implanted - pacemakers, resynchronization therapy systems and cardioverter-defibrillators - is being renovated.
This is particularly important for the National Cardiology Hospital, because we play a leading role in the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in children and adults. In addition, we are the only medical institution in the country that implants pacemakers and performs electrophysiological studies and catheter ablation in children.
– How are the hospital's capabilities in the field of imaging diagnostics changing?
– Rooms for a spectral computed tomography scanner and a digital graphic X-ray have been prepared, which will complement the hospital's modern imaging equipment.
The new spectral computed tomography scanner, which is unique in the country and is currently the only such device installed in Bulgaria, is particularly important. This technology will provide us with much more detailed imaging information and will allow specialists to make faster and more precise diagnoses.
– With such complex equipment, the infrastructure is probably also important. What has been done in this direction?
– Absolutely. High-tech medical equipment requires reliable and constant power supply. Therefore, the project also included the reconstruction of the electrical facilities in the hospital's transformer substation.
This may seem like a technical detail, but in fact it is fundamentally important. In order for this equipment to operate safely and continuously, there must be a secure infrastructure. This is what the modernization of the electrical system ensures.
- What does all this mean specifically for patients?
– It means better conditions for diagnostics, greater precision in treatment and wider opportunities for applying modern highly specialized medical methods. It is especially important that we develop the possibilities for treating children. For them, precise diagnostics and the ability to perform complex interventional procedures are of great importance. Ultimately, the investment is not just in new machines and renovated premises. It is an investment in the future of patients and in the conditions in which our specialists work. The new equipment will expand our capabilities and allow us to offer treatment at an even higher level.