Author: BCI

The medical centre on “Krum Popov” Str. in Sofia, Lozenets, provides faster access to the best specialists in the country

“In response to a number of recommendations from colleagues and patients who have received modern treatment and medical care at the high-tech hospital complexes ‘Heart and Brain’, leading specialists will examine and consult patients in Sofia,” said the medical director of ‘Heart and Brain’ Medical Center Dr. Radka Alexandrova.

Dr. Alexandrova is a specialist in pneumology and phthisiology with a scientific degree “Doctor of Medicine” and acquired the right to work with ionizing radiation. She specialized in functional diagnostics at the leading university hospital “Henri Mondor” in Paris. She has 10 years of experience as head of the department of non-specific pulmonary diseases in a pulmonary hospital in Sofia. She is fluent in French and English and provides continuing education for GPs.

Some of the most sought-after experts in the country, with recognized experience at home and abroad, are available to Sofia patients. The center provides the opportunity for a second opinion, examination or consultation by the best surgeons, cardiologists, neurologists, gastroenterologists, urologists, geneticists, pediatricians, obstetricians, pulmonologists, endocrinologists, oncologists and quick access to the only in the country special Gamma Knife and the latest treatment technologies.

Widely known throughout the country and recognized abroad, the high-tech hospital complexes ‘Heart and Brain’ have been the first choice of patients in the North and Southeast in recent years. Consistency in the introduction of new treatment methods, continuous training of the teams from different medical specialties and long-term work to build trust and respect between specialists and patients have distinguished the medical facilities of the Bulgarian Cardiac Institute (BCI) from all other hospitals in the country for 15 years.

BCI’s achievements in reducing cardiovascular mortality, improving quality and prolonging life have been repeatedly recognized abroad. In the past year 2023 alone, the quality of treatment at ‘Heart and Brain’ was confirmed by Prof. Carrel – cardiac surgery, prof. Shu – vascular surgery, prof. Rivas – thoracic surgery, prof. Roettinger – Orthopaedics and by a number of other luminaries of world medical science and practice.

The neonatologists and paediatricians who will be consulting at the Heart and Brain Centre are leading the teams at the newest maternal and child health clinic, Mommy and Me. They take on the most complex cases in the North, increasingly from the capital and all areas of the country, and are established names in their specialties. Thanks to specialised neonatal ambulances equipped with the latest generation transport cuvettes, neonatologists tackle a multitude of challenges in the first hours of life for the youngest patients.

It’s no coincidence that the names of the leading doctors of ,Heart and Brain’ appear in national rankings such as “Doctors we trust” or are nominated for personalities of the year.

Checkups are by appointment only online or by calling 02 9631298. More information can be found on the Heart and Brain Medical Center Facebook page or at www.test.cardiacinstitute.bg.

“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.