Martin Mitev: More and more patients from Sofia and EU citizens are treated in Pleven, Istanbul also refers to us

Martin Mitev, Administrative director of the hospital complex in Pleven, summarizes the main findings of the annual report of Heart and Brain

What are the highlights in this annual report?

For the Heart and Brain teams, there is nothing surprising in the established trend – more and more patients from different cities of Bulgaria, including the capital, are treated in our hospitals. In the last few months we have also seen a steady increase in foreign patients from the European Union. In my opinion, the ‘public secret’ lies in the symbiosis between high medical expertise, modern technology, discipline and, above all, respect for the patient. Our daily work is set up so that it is always the patient who is at the centre of everything. In order to provide the best healthcare service, we have provided a constant opportunity and encourage our patients to give their assessment, comments or recommendations in face-to-face interviews, as well as by phone call, email or online. We have set up an entire department to monitor, carry out checks and respond to alerts without fail. Doctors and teams are on standby and setup to rethink every element and improve medical practice. Accurate adherence to examination times despite the huge number of patients, personal attention to each, competent and well-organized diagnosis and treatment are important factors for the high satisfaction rate. The Dutch system of full-patient-attention has been implemented here.

You have the only range knife in Bulgaria. Why is this huge investment important?

First of all, it is important to tell patients – although it is called a “knife”, it is not surgery – there are no incisions and no pain. We use super modern technology with gamma rays, accurate to the millimetre, and the significant risk of death and disability with the old, harsh and traumatic head-opening surgical methods does not exist. The unique bloodless technology, unique to the country and much of the Balkans, makes it possible to “melt” multiple small tumors simultaneously. It is also the only way to keep important centres in the brain undamaged. The patient can go home immediately after the radiosurgery, and besides, he does not have to pay tens of thousands of leva for treatment abroad, because we work on a clinical pathway. You know about the years-long vicious practice of collecting large sums of money from groups of families – with these diagnoses, that has ended. We are very proud that the expertise of our radiosurgeons is world-class – patients are referred to us from abroad, including Istanbul.

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