Cyprus-Forum.com

[Get Real!]

Nicosia is lucky to have such a hospital

Open letter to the Ministry of Health

Dear Minister Ch. Charalambous
Dear doctors and nurses of the new Nicosia General Hospital

In the days leading up to Green Monday, I learnt that many Cypriots "prepare" for the coming 40 days of fasting by overindulging in rich foods prepared from animal products. I learned last week by personal experience that this is a tradition which is very dangerous to our health.
I do not know the current statistical incidence of diseases induced by high cholesterol in the Cypriot population, but I suspect that the numbers are horrific!
I do know that for many years the vast majority of Cypriots seeking medical advice and sophisticated surgery in Israel were for heart and vascular surgery procedures which are cholesterol related. I am also sure that the worldwide epidemic of obesity related to overeating which is spreading across the western world is not leaving the Cypriot population behind.
On the Sunday before Green Monday, I was relaxing at the home of good friends after a typical large and most enjoyable meal and watching the dramatic tennis game of Marcos Bahgdatis, when I suddenly experienced some epigastria pain. My family excused ourselves and we left for the apartment we were staying in Nicosia. In the following 24 hours I vomited continuously and was unable to sleep. As I was due to fly back to work in Israel on the night of Green Monday and was clearly not in a physical state to do so, I asked my wife to call Cyprus Airways and postpone my flight. Knowing me and the fact that I never take a day’s sick leave, my wife realised that something was seriously amiss and decide to take control of the situation. From the moment that a colleague in Nicosia arrived to examine me and promptly called an ambulance, things happened fast. The short ride to the new Nicosia General Hospital was agonising due to the persistent severe epigastria pain I suffered, but could not have been made more comfortable or efficient by the caring ambulance team that took me.
Within a very short time of arriving in the Emergency Unit I had been examined, had an EKG to exclude cardiac disease, had appropriate standing upper abdominal x-rays to exclude gastrointestinal tract perforation, had an ultrasound of the abdomen which confirmed the diagnosis of a gall stone induced acute pancreatic inflammation confirmed by a markedly elevated serum amylase and elevated bilirubin and inflammatory markers; and appropriate treatment was started ! The first dose of pethidine, given appropriately only after I had been examined by the internists and surgeons, started to relieve my agony and from then on I improved, albeit slowly.
I do not believe that I could have received faster, more efficient nor more appropriate primary and secondary medical care anywhere. Further invasive and sophisticated procedures, such as ERCP and MRCP were deferred when the ultrasound confirmed that there was no distention of the common bile duct and no collections in the pancreas.
I have heard many complaints about the new Nicosia General Hospital, and I read the report by the Doctors’ Association represented by Dr Stavros Stavrou, my friend and colleague from Limassol, whose opinions I value and trust as an honest and dedicated doctor (Cyprus Mail, February 22, 2007 ‘Doctors report New Hospital Chaos’). As this was published on the same day I left the New Hospital I must publish my experience so that the people of Nicosia do not fear the new General Hospital. I have had much to do, as you know, with many doctors and patients in the new hospital since it opened and I can openly and honestly say that I am very impressed with many aspects. My unexpected, and unannounced arrival in the Emergency Room on Green Monday and my experience as a seriously ill patient with a potentially fatal acute disease made me realise how lucky the people of Nicosia are to have such an impressive new medical facility available to them. I am sure that there is much room for improvements in the service provision at the hospital and upgrading of the available services all over Cyprus, but when I see the progress to date, I realise that the people of Cyprus should be very grateful.
As we have already seen, the availability of the new multidisciplinary intensive care unit at the hospital has dramatically reduced the need for emergency intensive care air ambulance evacuations out of Cyprus to Israel and I am very proud to have been associated with this trend. I sincerely hope this trend continues.
My heartfelt thanks and that of my wife and children, to the staff of the Emergency Unit, Department of Radiology, Surgery and the Department of Internal Medicine of the New General Hospital, particularly to Dr Markos Markou, Head of the Department who was primarily responsible for my care during my admission for saving my life. Thank you also to the constant flow of nurses who cared for me those very long days and nights of agony until I was able to be flown back to Israel.
I hope that my letter will also serve as a warning to my many wonderful friends in Cyprus about the health dangers of eating too much of those rich animal products.
My very best wishes to you all from Jerusalem for the remaining days of fasting and the Easter Season.

Professor David Michael Linton
Director: Medical Intensive Care Unit
Department of Medicine
Hadassah University Hospital
Jerusalem

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.ph ... 7&cat_id=1

[phoenix]

This sounds really great . . . can't wait till I need it

There are many brilliant Cypriot consultants in the U.K. and this should prove to be another source for innovative treatments.

For example:

Professor Nicolaides at Kings College Hospital in London developed the revolutionary Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound Screening Procedure (and his Department is full of beautiful paintings by Cypriot artists). He is truly inspirational.

Also Prof. Chris Paraskeva and his commitment to Cancer research at Bristol.

etc

Keep up the good work