MINSK, 11 November (BelTA) – The surgical service in Belarus incorporates the best achievements of national and international science and medicine, Healthcare Minister of Belarus Vasily Zharko said addressing the 14th Congress of Belarusian Association of Surgeons that opened in Vitebsk on 11 November, BelTA has learnt.
Thanks to the steady financing and sustained development, the surgical service in Belarus has made significant progress in raising the quality and availability of surgical aid, Vasily Zharko emphasized. The establishment of national scientific and practical centers allowed introducing the most advanced diagnostic and treatment methods in neurosurgery, oncology, ophthalmology, transplant surgery, just to name a few. Over the last five years, the number of surgeons has increased almost by a quarter to about 7,000 in 2009. Over 700,000 surgeries were performed in in-patient hospitals last year, up 100,000 than in 2000. The number of high technology and sophisticated surgeries is on the rise; first of all, it pertains to cardiology, transplant surgery and ophthalmology.
Heart surgery units have opened in all the oblasts; the number of operated patients in a severe condition or having co-morbidity is growing. In January-September 2010, over 8,000 heart surgeries were performed, compared to 6,400 in the entire 2009.
Organ transplant surgeries are becoming more common. In 2008, 34 liver transplantations were performed in Belarus. The year 2009 marked the first pancreas-kidney transplant surgery and the first heart surgery. All in all, 28 heart surgeries have been performed, of them 17 in January-September 2010, the Healthcare Minister said. In 2009 and January-September 2010 187 kidney transplantations were carried out.
Neurosurgeons now use endovascular surgeries to treat disorders of brain and spinal vessels and other technologies. In 2010, Belarusian neurosurgeons have performed 2,800 sophisticated surgeries.
According to Vasily Zharko, the priorities of the surgical service of Belarus include the improvement of postgraduate training, including on-the-job training. The introduction of sophisticated and high-tech diagnostic and treatment methods and the development of ambulatory surgery will remain in focus, too.
БЕЛТА
