2020 is a time of constant challenges. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we function every day, from a complete “lockdown” to a new normality in which sanitary restrictions and social distancing becomes a habit, a lifestyle. Solidarity, safe, but are they really healthy?
In the face of the growing epidemic of cardiovascular, oncological or neurological diseases, having the health of Polish women and Poles at heart, the Winner Health Foundation together with the Institute of Aware Man, in cooperation with scientific societies, experts, patients and ambassadors, on Thursday, September 17, launched a nationwide social campaign “Badam Myself! # I want to live. ” Medonet became the media patron of the campaign.
In recent months, there has been an alarming drop in the number of preventive and diagnostic tests, and follow-up visits – generally speaking, in contacts with the health service. There are several reasons for this, the most important of which is the fear of COVID-19 infection and postponing the visit to the so-called “Later” and difficult access to medical care (eg limitations in the operation of medical facilities, cancellation of stationary visits, difficulties in calling the facility or lack of free terms).
As a result, we are dealing with a growing epidemic of chronic, cardiovascular, cancer, neurological and rheumatic diseases. Most of them can be detected early and effectively treated – there is one condition – they must be diagnosed and monitored.
– We have found that we cannot wait any longer, every day, every week is important for many patients with cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. We received a very positive response from many people and institutions that wanted to get involved in the campaign, for which we would like to thank you very much. – said Marek Kustosz, President of the Institute of the Conscious Man.
The campaign is primarily aimed at increasing participation in preventive and diagnostic tests and necessary medical consultations among Polish society, improving the early detection of civilization diseases and the possibility of effective treatment, as well as exerting a bottom-up, positive impact on the health care system in order to increase the availability and improvement of the functioning and availability of facilities medical.
– We can say that we are dealing with a mental lockdown, caused by the spread of negative information in the media, which publicize individual cases and outbreaks, e.g. in hospitals, even dazzle with bad information, and it turns out that the case concerns one or two hospitals, however, the way it is presented in the media gives the impression that there is nothing worse now than a hospital.
– You have to make it clear that a year ago at this time, none of us heard about the pandemic, and no one was preparing for it, it was a challenge for us, we needed time to reorganize ourselves. We have created appropriate protection and safety measures, each patient has a temperature measured, masks must be worn, hand disinfection is required, and doctors follow similar procedures. – informed prof. Przemysław Leszek, Chairman of the Heart Failure Section of the Polish Society of Cardiology.
– What worries us is the decrease in the number of interventional procedures performed, e.g. the number of coronography has decreased from 20% to 40%, because the patient, even with chest pain, is reluctant to go to the hospital or call an ambulance despite having a heart attack. Other examples include a 77% decrease in cardiac ablations or a 44% decrease in the number of pacemakers implanted. – alarmed prof. Leszek – It is safer in a hospital than when shopping in a supermarket, I urge patients not to delay and visit the doctors. The professor added.
Other European countries have similar problems. During the recently concluded congress of the European Society of Cardiology, data was presented that confirm an approx. 40% decrease in reporting to hemodynamic laboratories. – Patients stay at home, the pain eventually subsides, but the heart necrosis is over, the patient functions normally at first, but it may last 6-12 months, and then we will deal with serious heart failure – said Dr. Paweł Balsam from the Department of Cardiology Warsaw Medical University.
The worrying situation also takes place in oncology, where the notification was confirmed by approx. 30% less cases than in the similar period last year, it does not mean that we do not get sick, there are simply many people who have not been diagnosed. – A delay in diagnosis means that patients will probably end up in the hospital, but already at a very advanced stage of cancer. Reporting for preventive examinations, such as mammography, cytology or colonoscopy, suffered the most, hence our appeal to family doctors and other specialists that their practices should be open to patients and that we all remain vigilant, said Szymon Chrostowski, President of the Wygrajmy Zdrowie Foundation.
– This year, 20% fewer DiLO cards (diagnostic and oncological treatment cards) were issued, many people do not see an oncologist in a timely manner, and in this case six months may mean the occurrence of metastases. Then we can only palliatively cure the patient, reduce ailments, improve the quality of life, but we will not cure the disease. – added prof. Cezary Szczylik, from the European Health Center in Otwock – Patients should not be paralyzed with fear, the medical staff cares about the conditions of the sanitary regime. Do not be afraid, come to us, you are safe, we must continue your diagnostics and treatment – appealed the professor.
Dr. Artur Prusaczyk, vice-president of the Management Board of the Medical and Diagnostic Center in Siedlce, emphasized that so far the coronavirus in Poland turns out to be not as virulent as in southern Europe. – Therefore, the health care system should take care of the needs of the entire society, including various groups of patients. Contrary to Italy or Spain, our country has not experienced paralysis of the health service.
– In the case of coronavirus tests, it was possible to ensure that these tests are properly reported, but there is no such information on the other laboratory tests, how many and how much they are performed each day in the country. Laboratory tests are not reported separately in hospitals, and POZ reports such tests every six months. In addition, there is no verification of diagnostic tests. According to the 2015 report of the Supreme Audit Office, 89% were research in restorative medicine (specialist clinics, hospitals), and only 3-4% of the research was commissioned at POZ. This is drastically not enough. There are many simple tests, such as morphology, creatinine, tumor markers, that provide information for the patient and the entire system. If the laboratory diagnostics were taken care of correctly, the cost of treating patients would be much lower, because we would have detected ailments earlier, and the development of serious chronic diseases would not have occurred. – argued Alina Niewiadomska, President of the National Chamber of Laboratory Diagnosticians. Simultaneously
The President of KIDL emphasized that preventive examinations are an investment in health and should be widely performed at the level of primary health care.
Experts also referred to the organization of teleportation. – After a few years, television is finally reimbursed, which is good news, it was due to the pandemic. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that teleporting is not a substitute for a stationary visit, but a tool in the hands of a doctor, very helpful, for example, in the control of planned, stable patients who return home after surgery, to the other end of Poland, and thanks to television we can be in contact and evaluate the tests performed in the meantime. Television broadcasts must be approached with common sense, because they seem to be abused at the moment. – said Dr. Paweł Balsam. – Experience shows that even in the most digitized health care systems, e.g. in Israel, the number of in-patient visits can be reduced by up to 50%. – completed Dr. Prusaczyk.
Deputy Ombudsman for Patients, Grzegorz Błażewicz, appealed for a reliable message in the media, because they largely cause fear. – You need to show the arguments why and when you need to see a doctor and how large health losses may occur if we do not do it. Therefore, patient and medical staff education is now crucial. The Human Rights Defender receives signals from patients about irregularities or problems with gaining access to health services. All cases are analyzed individually. We run a XNUMX/XNUMX hotline in cooperation with the National Health Fund, where our experts are waiting for calls. We try to provide reliable knowledge and in most cases the information is sufficient, but there are also situations where you need to intervene. At the same time, we appreciate the daily hardship of medical personnel and that is why we were very saddened by the hate and campaigning against medical professionals. Said the spokesman.
For all those who are looking for information on where to get advice, perform tests, where the office is on duty and want to clarify other doubts, we would like to remind you of the Patient Information Telephone number – 0 800 190 590.
Experts pointed out that many situations are blown up and frighten patients unnecessarily. Dr. Paweł Balsam, as an example, gave an incident from the facility where he works – In March, there was a lot of media coverage of an infected medical worker in the hospital on Banacha Street in Warsaw. The truth is that the doctor was infected and isolated, and the hospital treated around 1100 patients. Nobody else was infected. Procedures were started immediately, patients had to be tested – but after the situation was presented as dramatic in the media, which was what the patient was supposed to think – sure, I won’t go there. There has been no new infection in the facility since then. That is why I am asking for the responsibility of the media, there are two sides of the coin, it is necessary to inform about them.
The campaign is supported by numerous ambassadors. Anna Lucińska, actress and presenter, emphasized that fear stops us first of all. – I experienced it myself, my mother recently called me, complaining of severe abdominal pain, I immediately offered her that we would go to the doctor. To which my mother said that she was afraid, because there was a coronavirus and she would probably get infected. Many of us think so. We went to the doctor, luckily we managed to fix the problem, but it is not known what would have happened if we delayed. That is why I appeal to colleagues to inform and make people aware of the importance of examinations and consultation with a doctor.
Another campaign ambassador, Paulina Koziejowska, a journalist added – We always had time for shopping, car inspection, meetings with friends, and we forgot about research. Let’s not just spread bad information, you need to reliably and calmly explain what reality looks like. We are not to downplay the coronavirus, but at the same time protect ourselves against the wave of cancer and heart disease.
Let’s take care of ourselves and our loved ones. There are many reasons to live, to be healthy, join the campaign I get tested # Because I want to live today!
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