Description (EN): Over the cross border area, the prevalence of the diabetic eye disease, corneal and retinal pathologies are extremely high. The reasons for such high prevalences compared to other parts of Europe consist in the general lifestyle of the population (which positions the cross border area on the top spot at European level for diabetes incidence), the lack of awareness of the population with regards to the causes and consequences of the aforementioned pathologies, the lack of proper diagnose and treatment capacities at regional level. The relatively low levels of income specific to the cross-border population generally don’t leave the option of searching treatment overseas. While the current situation persists, the population is trapped in front of such dishabilitating diseases.
The overall objective of the project is the Improvement of the quality of life for the population from the cross-border area with specific eye pathologies. Last generation diagnose and surgical equipment and advanced training for expert ophthalmologists ensured through the joint actions of the two project partners will create access for the entire population of the cross – border area to modern high quality services of diagnose and eye surgery in Timisoara and Nova Crnja. Throughout the duration of the project, high quality eye diagnose and surgery services will be available for free to all the citizens of the cross-border area (as early diagnosis and treatment is of particular importance for the treatment of the eye pathologies with progressive behaviour). In addition, the project partners take the commitment to continue to supply the diagnosis and surgery services for the citizens of the cross-border area without any direct charges, after the end of the implementation period. The awareness campaign lead by the 2 project partners will improve prevention and early diagnosis of specific eye diseases, with important effects on the quality of life of the population.
The network of specialists developed through the project around the 2 poles (Timisoara and Nova Crnja) will increase significantly and with immediate effect the access of the population from remote areas to specific healthcare services, as well as the quality of these services. More specifically, eye diagnose equipment exists in hospitals from each of the 9 counties/departments of the cross-border region, although incomplete and of relatively low quality. Still, the existing equipment can be significantly better exploited through a better training of the medical staff.
Through the activities of the project, at least 2 ophthalmologists from each county/district will be trained, which will instantly improve the quality of the diagnose and surgery services throughout the region. As the training will focus on the “train the trainers” principle, the knowhow will be disseminated throughout the region. With immediate effect, patients will have access to improved services, locally.
Through dedicated conferences, the project also targets to train family doctors from the entire cross-border area in the field of ophthalmology. The training will be focused on the diagnose procedures. By improving the skills of the family doctors in the diagnose of eye pathologies and by teaching the family doctors the best immediate measures for the patients, the family doctors will identify earlier the presence of the pathologies and will give better directions to the patients. This will bring important improvements in the accuracy of the diagnosis process allowing at the same time for an earlier diagnosis (which has an important impact on the evolution of the patient).
Not least, the costs and benefits of different treatment plans will be evaluated based on the local factors and the conclusion will be made available to patients and family doctors, as suggestions for approaching the pathologies.
The project also targets to perform a screening in the field of diabetes, as it is expected that, throughout the cross-border area, the majority of people affected by diabetes are not diagnosed. Without a positive diagnose, treatment solutions cannot be applied, and the state of the patients is deteriorating irreversibly. The interest of the project in diabetes is based on the fact that the presence of diabetes to a patient is responsible for a great percentage of the severe eye pathologies.
The diagnosis rate is significantly lower in rural areas, as people from rural areas don’t have enough knowledge in the medical field and have worse access to medical facilities. The project will address this situation in particular, by ensuring and encouraging the transportation of people from remote areas for investigations and surgery (when necessary).
Throughout the duration of the project, the 2 partners will organize conferences for the general population, with particular interest for the rroma population and the population from remote areas. Informative materials regarding the risks of the eye pathologies, their symptoms and treatment options, the costs and benefits of each option will be elaborated and distributed. Press releases will also be sent constantly to the regional press. The awareness campaigns will help the population avoid eye diseases and will improve the diagnose time.
Medical students will have access to materials and will be able to witness surgeries, which will contribute to the sustainability of the results of the project.
Through all its activities, the project will show particular attention to disadvantaged persons and minorities that present special tendencies of not taking medical investigations in time or cannot afford high quality medical investigations and high quality surgery services. Once the patients informed, they will have access to better quality local diagnose services (ensured by the trained ophthalmologists) or to high quality diagnosis services ensured by the last generation equipment and the trained doctors in Timisoara and Nova Crnja.
In the cases where surgery will be required, free high quality services will be available throughout the duration of the project, as well as after its ending. During the 24 months of implementation, 16.000 citizens of the cross-border area will benefit from high quality diagnosis or surgery services:
- 10.000 persons investigated for diabetes;
- 6.000 persons subjected to specific ophthalmological investigations, out of which 400 patients will be subjected to surgical therapy.
Thus, a minimum of 10.000 investigations for diabetes, 6.000 ophthalmological investigations and 400 surgical procedures will be performed without charge for the citizens of the cross-border area.
The project partners will continue to supply the diagnosis and surgery services for a minimum of 1.000 citizens of the cross-border area / year without any direct charges, for a minimum of 5 years after the end of the implementation period.
The complete list of project’s main outputs:
PA1.OI1 Citizens involved in project activities in cultural, social health care services,
3.1 Free medical tests for diabetes for 10.000 people,
3.2 Free medical investigations for 6.000 patients with ophthalmological problems,
3.3 Free eye surgery services for 400 patients,
3.6 Training courses for 50 experienced ophthalmologists,
3.7 Training for 200 medical students,
3.8 Memberships to the network of specialists for 100 physicians,
3.9 Guides for best practices in the field of eye surgery for 200 ophthalmologists,
3.10 Reports for patients, students and family doctors concerning the costs and benefits of eye surgery for 400 recipients,
3.11 Guides for hospitals, surgeons and cost benefit analysis experts concerning the costs and benefits of eye surgery for 220 recipients,
3.13 Training conferences for 50 family doctorsPA1.OI3 Investment in health care and social services infrastructure,
Rehabilitation of the building destined to host the Regional Ophthalmological Laser Centre,
PA1 OI4 Disadvantaged persons involved in projects activities,
3.3 Free ophthalmological investigations for 3000 disadvantaged persons,
3.4 Free ophthalmological surgery services for 200 disadvantaged persons.
PA1OI5 Joint actions targeting vulnerable groups (youth, women, disabled, ethnic minorities) established for the prevention of early school leaving, for cultural inclusion,
3.12 Conferences for raising awareness for the roma population (50 participants ructed),
COI_1 Population covered by improved health services,
3.14 Improved health services for 16.000 citizens of the cross-border area,
COI_2 Number of participants in projects promoting gender equality, equal opportunities and social inclusion across borders,
3.15 Citizens involved in the activities of the project: 16.620.
The centre created through the project will be unique not just in the cross-border area, but in the entire South-Eastern Europe, being able to offer high quality medical services and specific laser treatments for Romanian and Serbian patients, regarding the targeted corneal and retinal pathology as well as the diabetes related ophthalmological pathologies. Its remarkable advantages will consist mainly in delivering high class medical services for the patients and high level medical education for doctors.
The project is the first initiative of its kind in the field of corneal and retinal pathology and diabetic eye disease in all South-Eastern Europe. Over the cross – border region, other initiatives in the field of ophthalmology targeting different segments of the eye were implemented during the last 10 years by the same project team. The current project covers the pathologies specific to the last segment of the eye, thus closing the circle.
Read more Achievements (EN): Over the cross-border area, the prevalence of the diabetic eye disease, corneal and retinal pathologies are extremely high. The reasons for such high prevalence compared to other parts of Europe consist in the general lifestyle of the population (which positions the cross-border area on the top spot at European level for diabetes incidence), the lack of awareness of the population with regards to the causes and consequences of the aforementioned pathologies, the lack of proper diagnosis and treatment capacities at regional level. The relatively low levels of income specific to the cross-border population generally don’t leave the option of searching treatment overseas. The overall objective of the project was the improvement of the quality of life for the population from the cross-border area with specific eye pathologies. Last generation diagnosis, surgical equipment and advanced training for expert ophthalmologists ensured through the joint actions of the two project partners created access for the entire population of the cross – border area to modern high quality services of diagnosis and eye surgery in Timisoara (Romania) and Nova Crnja (Serbia). Throughout the duration of the project, high quality eye diagnosis and surgery services were available for free to all the citizens of the cross-border area (as early diagnosis and treatment is of particular importance for the treatment of the eye pathologies with progressive behaviour). In addition, the project partners take the commitment to continue to supply the diagnosis and surgery services for the citizens of the cross-border area without any direct charges, after the end of the implementation period.
Results achieved:
10.749 Medical tests for diabetes;
6.506 Free ophthalmological investigations;
560 Free eye surgery services;
61 Trained ophthalmologists;
200 Trained medical students;
306 Memberships to the network of specialists (www.recalt.umft.ro);
200 guides for best practices in the field of eye diseases diagnosis and treatment;
400 reports for patients, students and family doctors concerning the costs and benefits of eye surgery;
220 reports for hospitals, ophthalmologists and cost benefit analysis experts concerning the costs and benefits of eye surgery;
238 Roma citizens benefiting from conferences for awareness raising;
50 trained family doctors;
1 building rehabilitated destined to host the Regional Ophthalmological Laser Centre;
3.956 free medical investigations for disadvantaged persons;
324 free eye surgery services for disadvantaged persons;
17.255 citizens benefiting from improved health services;
18.035 citizens involved in the activities of the project;
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