Month: December 2023

“Time for direct donation to the able, the knowledgeable and the doers – to the creators of children’s healthcare in Bulgaria, to raise our national expertise to a global level and cover the country territorially.

We only accept named donations, transparently, by bank and electronic transfer only – with full accountability to donors.”

This is a campaign announced by the Maternity and Children Clinic “Mama and I”, Pleven.

The head of the clinic – Dr. Velimir Simov – announced to BNR that the mayors of Burgas and Pleven are the first donors:

“They are mayors of cities where our structures work and they know what they get from these structures. Many ordinary people, medium and small companies, many insurance companies have already donated money and this money is being used in a targeted and momentary way to improve services for children”.

Dr. Simov was adamant that the teams at the Mama and I provide urgent health care to children:

“We follow the laws and it is free for children up to the age of 7 and parents do not pay anything extra. And for children in critical condition undergoing intensive care, regardless of age, they pay nothing extra.”

“Every day, many parents raise funds through TV shows, social networks and foundations for their children’s treatment abroad. Some manage to meet the high costs, most – never. And why don’t we in Bulgaria develop our own network for paediatric help and care with world-leading expertise and make it fully accessible to all? N a t i o n a l Children’s Hospital. And there won’t be any soon, because after the ‘Mama and I’ project in Sofia 20 months ago brought together doctors and patient organisations, the state got around to choosing a site. The interests of politicians and parents still diverge. So we took the development into our own hands. We have never bothered the public with pitches, needs analysis and projects – we know it all, we do it ourselves – we practice state-of-the-art paediatric medicine on the evidence. Foreign experience is also important, even for our modest scale – a closer and an unattainable example:

More than 40 million euros have been raised by donations (350 thousand individuals and more than 8 thousand companies) in Romania for a specialized children’s oncology hospital with 187 beds. The project has been completed in four years and the facility is now operational.

More than 850 million Swiss francs have been raised by the private Eleonore Foundation in Zurich for a 230-bed children’s hospital that will open at the end of 2024. The hospital is neither state-owned nor belongs to the cantonal university hospital.

Diana Yankulova’s interview with Dr. Velimir Simov in the “12+3” programme can be heard in the audio file (available in Bulgarian).

On the eve of the Christmas all people are waiting for their miracle. Our Christmas miracle happened on Christmas Eve 2022 when I found out I was pregnant. It was the most beautiful gift I could have received. Pregnancy was easy and uneventful until at 24 gestational weeks I became the protagonist of my worst nightmare. We changed three hospitals to save our baby girl. In the first they gave up on her, in the second they fought for her until she was big enough to go to paediatrics, and in the third – ‘Mama and I’ in Pleven, Dr Simov believed in her and gave her a chance to live.

My baby was born 590 grams. In the first months of her life she went through so many difficult moments – she jumped over death several times, had laser surgery on her eyes, was transported from Sofia to Pleven by a specialized neonatal ambulance of ‘Mama and I’. She did not give up. My husband and I were close to her every day to give her strength. We trusted and prayed that our prayers would be answered and that fate would not take our baby away from us. And I, with all my soul, wanted her to be my daughter – Emilia.

A month passed, two, three, my heart was bleeding. The pain in me grew stronger and more hopeless. I lost myself. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. I wanted my baby. I wanted to help her, but I didn’t know how. All I could do was pray, keep believing, and go to her every day – give her my love and support.

When she was unwell, I was experiencing her pain, experiencing absolutely real symptoms. At our most difficult time, I somehow found strength. I told myself that the despair couldn’t last and we were the ones who had to change the path! With the help of mothers who have gone through this ordeal and whose babies were saved by Dr. Velimir Simov, I made an attempt to contact him. I wrote him an email. I knew that he probably had so many commitments that he was unlikely to respond to me right away. So I found the first phone number he had under his name on the internet and prayed that luck would smile on me. To my greatest surprise I came across the nicest woman who could pick up the phone (a rarity in Bulgaria). When I told my story, crying and sobbing, she said she would do her best to put me in touch with Dr. Simov. She did, and I had a positive answer right away.

We were about to make the most important decision as parents – whether to keep our child in a Sofia hospital or move her to Pleven to the doctor who gave us hope. We took the risk. There was no telling if she would have made it all the way to Pleven even with the most special ambulance on earth. The chance of her surviving was minimal as she was intubated and at the same time sick with pneumonia.

Of course, she showed again that she was a hero and did not give up!

She was taken over by the team of the pediatric intensive care unit of ‘Mama and I’ in Pleven. For 2 months all the specialists fought for her life around the clock. During this period we were able to visit her every weekend. We travelled, saw her and returned. We knew she was in good hands.

The surprise came when Dr. Simov called me one morning and said, “Mama, come in, the child has been extubated and breathing for only 48 hours now. We are waiting for you, we will put you in a private room to take care of her”. That’s what I was waiting for. I immediately packed my bags and left for Pleven.

I wanted to kiss the doctor, take the baby in my arms and never let her go again! I was placed with her and the first days all the nurses helped me. I wanted to learn to do everything myself. I told them, ‘Please let me do it. I want I.” I quickly learned how to take care of my child. What to do under an hour, how to deal with her oxygen dependency. By the third or fourth day, we were completely on our own.

It was wonderful, it was fabulous! I was with my baby. The missing part of my heart had been found, had been filled. My love was complete. I felt happiest when my husband and I were with her and cuddling. We were a real family now. Our baby girl was already with us!

It’s a miracle of nature to go from 590 grams to a 4 pound man! To want life so badly. Emy has a mission and is here to fulfill it. And the doctors who saved her are her guiding archangels. We’re sure the best is yet to come, because we’re being discharged today, and we’ll be spending the Christmas holidays together.

On behalf of our happy family, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been a part of our happiness. Never change and above all – stay as dedicated doctors and people. Our Christmas will be complete. Believe in miracles and know that they happen to those who believe in them. Our miracle is Emilia! Because it has the phenomenon of ‘Mama and I’. Wishing you a happy holiday season. And love your loved ones. Separation is measured in days and love is boundless.

Bulgaria lacks more than 3,000 obstetricians and neonatology and paediatrics are not attractive to young doctors

by Dr. Nikol Goranova and Dr. Dobromir Andreev

According to the National Statistical Institute (NSI), the number of people under 18 in Bulgaria as of 31 December 2021 is 1 188 803 (17.4% of the total population). Bulgaria is among the countries where the share of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion is significantly higher than the EU average.

There is no European or other developed country that does not face the challenges of an ageing population and low birth rates. According to Greek statistics, in the last year the growth rate has again been negative, with twice as many deaths as births. Hungary’s fertility rate is 1.61 births per woman in 2021, well below the government’s target of 2.1 births needed to grow the population by 2030, while Italy has recorded more than 12 deaths for every 7 births. We only mention EU countries similar in size and mentality. At the opposite pole are Denmark, Sweden and Luxembourg, where they devote the most public resources to stimulating families, as a percentage of GDP in the form of tax-free income for each child up to 18 or family benefits for education and maintenance. It makes sense that these countries would be attractive places for young families.

The budget deficit adopted yesterday is mainly made up of ‘social’ payments, but among these, direct birth promotion is negligible. In 2024, child benefit levels are expected to remain unchanged from 2023. However, the eligibility threshold for child allowances is increased to BGN 710 (income per family member) and for the first time since 2015, the allowances for children with TEC are increased, as well as the budget for social services. The one-off birth grant will increase by 50%, but it will be only BGN 375 for the first child.  There is still a shortage of places in nurseries and kindergartens and prices for clinical pathways are very low compared to the EU average. Obviously, the state remains a big debtor to Bulgarian children and families. There are no foreign investors in our sector, and national private investors have only recently appeared.

Much has been written and said about maternal and child healthcare, by almost everyone, but only this year has one newly built clinic opened its doors. That’s why patients called it “the phenomenon.” Society and the state need to support the best – those with a real contribution and result, because without increasing the birth rate the demographic crisis will engulf us!

There is now one place in Bulgaria that is developing modern paediatric care and care with leading expertise to make them fully accessible to all. Here we prove every day that high technology, hygiene and precision standards are not a luxury, but a clinical necessity and a medical value. We at ‘Mama and I’ have already explained how and why we protect and fill the vault of our national wealth and future. We are also succeeding in convincing scores of young women to have a third child after we have delivered the second. ‘Aggressively’ encouraging high fertility rates regardless of social, educational, marital, property or any other status should be national policy and a long-term strategy.

Ryan is one of those tiny and struggling children born prematurely that we call little heroes. He is the Miracle-before-Christmas for a family from a small town in Northern Bulgaria – after a two-month stay in the neonatology department of the newest maternity and children clinic in the country, Mama and I, the little one is now home with his parents.

“Ryan was born much earlier than normal. The average duration of a pregnancy is 40 gestational weeks. He came into the world at 30 gestational weeks and in an emergency, with a real life-threatening condition of the mother. At birth he weighed only 1300 g”, says Dr. Andrey Hristov, head of the neonatology at ‘Mama and I’.

“I had a problem pregnancy during which I was consulted and treated in a clinic in Sofia. After stabilizing my condition, the doctors sent me home with the agreement that if necessary I would be admitted to hospital immediately. However, complications came unexpectedly – profuse hemorrhage from an almost completely detached placenta sent me to the hospital in the peripheral city of Pleven as an emergency. My condition was dangerous both for my child’s life and for myself,” says Ryan’s mother.

“Thanks to the professional and quick actions of the colleagues from the multidisciplinary hospital, the young woman was resuscitated and immediately, without delay, was placed on the operating table for an emergency caesarean section. The result was the birth of Ryan at 30 weeks gestation,” says Dr. Hristov. The little one was immediately taken in by the on-call pediatrician, but in practice was extremely unprepared to live without anyone else’s help as a result of the premature birth. The doctors performed primary resuscitation of the newborn and created the necessary conditions for his transportation. In order to save the baby’s life, they turn to the ‘Mama and I’ teams because they know well the capabilities and achievements of the new children’s clinic, including the care of extremely immature children.

Upon receiving information about the case in the neonatology clinic of ‘Mama and I’, the doctors immediately formed a team and went to the settlement with the specialized neonatology resuscitation vehicle equipped with an intensive transport cuvee and a respirator. Within an hour and 15 minutes of the call, the resuscitation team from Pleven arrives at the scene.

“We had to immediately intubate Rayan and put him on ventilator, cannulate a vein for intravenous infusion of drugs. This happened right there on the spot, we got our intensive transport cuvee into the operating room itself to accomplish all of this activity on an emergency basis. After being transported to Pleven, Ryan was admitted to the intensive care unit of our neonatology department,” Dr. Hristov continues to tell us. The good teamwork of the doctors from both hospitals, their professionalism and the availability of modern equipment give a little hero a chance to live.

Two months of care and attention from the whole team followed. “Ryan had a very difficult time – he had to be given artificial respiration, we also injected a special substance into his lung so he could absorb oxygen, antibiotics, plasma, blood, and he underwent a number of tests. He is now in stable condition, clinically healthy and weighing 2800 g. Eventually our story has its happy ending and our child is home,” the parents excitedly shared.

“What is also important to us is the quality of life the child will have after discharge. I am happy that the screening tests performed on Ryan showed that he has no eye involvement, we discharge him without any signs of respiratory failure and without the need for additional breathing support at home,” says Dr. Andrey Hristov. He concludes, “Ryan’s story is a story of goodness that brings hope and needs to be told. Because children are our most precious!”

The executive director of the Bulgarian Cardiac Institute is a guest on an episode of the Bulgarian National Radio’s podcast “In the center of the system” regarding cholesterol. 50 percent of people aged 50 have atherosclerosis in the vessels.

This is the medical facility in Burgas, which for me is not only a hospital, but a place where there is humanity and humanity, for them there are no Saturdays and Sundays, says Mina Dzhuglarska

Burgas resident Mina Dzhuglarska arrived with a broken leg and crutches to the editorial office of Flagman.bg to thank the people who saved her family. We know Mina Dzhuglarska well through her dedicated work in support of children with special needs in Burgas Municipality.

“My husband, who is a father, a grandfather and a pillar for our family, is with us for Christmas because he has you” – today her gratitude is for the director Dr. Lidiya Stefanova and the whole family of the Heart and Brain Hospital, and her emotional story is too personal, it does not need editing and introduction, so we provide it to you:

“It all started on October 22, Sunday, my husband Vasil Dzhuglarsky was hunting. As he was leaving, he felt bad, called me on the phone and said, “I feel bad, I have pain in my chest and I can’t breathe.” It was more than clear to me that things were very serious, but I tried my best to take the tension and pain away from him. With our combined efforts, he made it to Heart and Brain Hospital. This is the medical facility in Burgas, which for me is not only a hospital, but a place where there is humanity and humanity. Led by the director Dr. Lidiya Stefanova, there are no weekends for them. October 22 was a Sunday, but immediately the team gathered in an emergency because of my husband. My husband was found to have a very serious aortic problem, which I cannot say in medical terms, lest it sound silly. Basil’s life was in their hands and everything was happening in such a short time. Terror flooded all of us, his loved ones. Separately, I had a broken leg for two days, lying motionless at home with a cast, splint and two crutches.

For what was happening, I thought, evil never comes alone. Immediately, the team admitted him, they kept him alive and began a week of physical and mental preparation of his condition so that the surgery could take place, in which innovative methods and techniques were applied, with the insertion of an endoprosthesis and other necessary things, which every day and every hour there was a specialist to explain to us in a human way.

On the day of the surgery, Assoc. Prof. Vladimir Kornovski, the cardiac surgeon, who is world class in his professionalism, together with his team did a 12-hour surgery in which other unexpected problems happened, which were managed and everything ended in the best way. Despite the 12-hour surgery and that we loved ones stood and waited for the outcome, there was no one to explain to us why the surgeries were so long, what was happening, the time it took. The team that performed the surgery took care afterwards as well. Every day they explained to us what was next. For the blood donors, for example, they said we could take the notes later – it took 6 once and then 8 more. We were constantly reassured, met with such humanity and helpfulness that there was no way I could not come and tell them in person in the run up to the Christmas holidays. The good example must be told, we cannot just berate the health system. The good example is there, the doctors are fighting for us, for our loved ones and for our lives. Besides the teams who knew their job perfectly, they were ready for a surprise, the most human thing is that they explained. Assoc. Prof. Kornovski patiently answered all my layman questions after those 12 hours.

In the process of my husband’s recovery, I also met with the director, Dr. Lydia Stefanova, I wanted to tell her that this is a very modern hospital, there is even a psychologist there. And orderlies, nurses, technical secretaries – all in the right place at the right time. She was saying, “the patient has a right, he comes first, this is more than normal what we have done, madam.” With a smile she found a way to explain to me that this was Heart and Brain and so it would be.

Many thanks to everyone who helped him be home, recovering. I can see the joy of the medical teams too when we go for check-ups. They welcome him and are happy for him. The survival rate in such a life-saving operation, despite the good technique and training of the medical staff, is very small in terms of success rate. My husband was given a second chance, for him to be alive and among us, his family.

Now we will all be reunited on Christmas Eve. Every year there was someone and something to be thankful for. This year we will thank the entire Heart and Brain Hospital family. You are a heart that works with a brain. I hope that you will become a brand, as Dr. Stefanova dreams, and that you will truly be the pride not only in Burgas, Bulgaria, but also abroad.”

by Dr. Nicole Goranova and Dr. Dobromir Andreev

The old wisdom “health is great wealth” is always relevant. Today, the population is ageing and life expectancy is increasing, but even at a very old age, health is everyone’s wealth.

Insurance and reinsurance companies, insurance schemes, bankers and investment bankers – all of whom evaluate thousands of classes of risks – have for decades included the health status of the population, employees, entrepreneurs and even political leaders in their wealth assessment matrices, analyses and projections. However, we empirically know something more important and more valuable – the essential component of wealth, prosperity, happiness and longevity is our healthy children! We in the ‘phenomenon’ ‘Mama and I’ are developing the existential core in the vault of our national wealth and our future.

The full article is available here in Bulgarian.

“The everyday understanding of luxury reflects an attribute of pleasure, not a value or necessity. In this sense, the newly built high-tech maternal and children clinic ‘Mama and I’, which opened on June 1, 2023, is a “luxury acquisition” for Bulgarian pediatric healthcare. In fact, according to all the medical guidelines, clinical methodologies and Bulgarian medical standards and law that we apply, meticulous hygiene and established order are required at least to prevent hospital-acquired infections. Naturally, the clinic is full because we see children from all over Bulgaria, and “luxury”, as we defined it, is maintained around the clock.