Vinnytsia oblast doctors are taught to recognize cardiovascular diseases

What do qualified M.D. learn?

Head of the Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases Department of Pyrohov Memorial Vinnytsia National Medical University, Professor Yurii Mostovyi, says.

- Yurii Mykhailovich, what was the selection principle of this training program participants?

- We are generally planning to attract about 500 medical workers. Every Thursday, starting from mid-September, groups of about 60 learners are getting together. Those are mostly primary care doctors – ambulance brigade teams, general practitioners and therapists. Regions participating in the training program are designated by the Health Care Department of Vinnytsia Oblast State Administration: Bershad, Haisyn, Zhmerynka, Khmilnyk, Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Vinnytsia and the city of Vinnytsia itself. They all have powerful ambulance substations and, therefore, need relevant knowledge how to act in case of a patient encounter with a suspected acute cardiovascular disease.

- Why did the need for such training arise?

-These activities are taking place within the framework of the investment subproject with the World Bank. Its goal is to reduce the mortality and disability rate of population caused by noninfectious diseases such as ischemic heart disease, acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, hypertension. The World Bank not only cares about the establishment of a modern heart center as a building equipped with necessary medical equipment. More important is the qualification of the professionals who provide the first aid to a patient. And due to the fact that every year there are new data on the diagnostics and treatment of heart defects, we need to convey this information.  

Trainings have combined format: theoretical part, analysis of real clinical cases from those regions that participate in the training. We also are sure to have a practical component in a format of hands-on experience with the X-ray operating unit of Vinnytsia heart center. It is fundamental for us that primary care doctors have learned: elective coronarography is required by majority of patients with angina. With the ambulance brigades, we repeat the principles of thrombolysis in order to understand when this procedure should be performed, and when a patient should be transported to the heart center.

- Was the development of the educational part done by VNMU?

- Yes, it's a teamwork. In addition to me, lectures are read by specialists of the Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases Department of Pyrohov Memorial Vinnytsia National Medical University, in particular by L. Rasputina, N. Pentiuk, T. Tkachenko, N. Slepchenko, H. Tomashkevish. In Vinnytsia Heart Center, practical trainings are conducted by I. Skliarov, V. Scherbak, I. Danylchuk. At the end of the training, our learners receive methodical and printed materials which can help them in the practical daily work. 

What do the cardiologists expect from training?

Chief Physician of Vinnytsia Regional Clinical Center for Diagnostics and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, Volodymyr Hladkykh, comments:

 "Such trainings are not a one-time event.  Last year alone, about five hundred physicians of the region completed the training. Given the social factor, most colleagues from the regions are interested in the cost of coronarographies and stenting. We inform them about the availability of quotas for the population. Due to the World Bank financing, we are able to provide free diagnostics and treatment. It is important that people know about it and could use this opportunity timely.

The goal to be achieved as a result of such training is to improve the logistics of a patient to a medical institution. Time is of the essence. The more effectively the primary care physicians work, the more chances there are to save life and health of a patient.

Point of view of the training participants

Among the listeners of the training program, along with the emergency doctors, there are former pediatricians, therapists, and other narrowly focused specialists. They are all now general practitioners. Most of them have little practical experience in diagnostics of cardiovascular diseases. And those who have, try to structure their knowledge and add up new. 

Hanna Haponova, emergency doctor of the Bar region substation:

"I've been working at the ambulance since1982. However, such annual training is useful even for experienced doctors. First, there are new protocols, secondly, new medicines. And we gain all this new information during the trainings, we are interested in such knowledge. Last summer, I first learned the coronary angiography procedure. In fact, it is very important to know where to take the patient. Just a few weeks ago, we delivered a patient with myocardial infarction to Vinnytsia because we knew that it was only in the Heart Center that he could be provided with comprehensive aid. The coronary angiography and stenting were made to our patient free of charge because it was an emergency case".

Leonid Hoshtaner, Head of rural ambulance station, the village of Shyroka Hreblia

"For two months, almost all the doctors of our ambulance station have been trained within the framework of this training program. I'd like to emphasize its good structure. There is no advertising like, say, at the majority of medical conferences. Just practical tips for everyday work instead. Our ambulance station provides care to approximately 2000 people. Infarctions, however, are not too often – just several times a year. But there are many patients with heart pain, angina. People who live in the village are mostly elderly. Therefore, it is important to renew one's skills from time to time". 

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