Thousands of people from the countryside, tested for liver diseases in a screening launched in Cluj

Health

1,910 people from 16 counties in Romania were included in a liver screening project carried out in the last 2 years, financed by Norwegian and Icelandic funds of €1 million.

1,910 people from 16 counties in Romania were included in a liver screening project carried out in the last 2 years, financed by Norwegian and Icelandic funds of one million €/ Photo: organizers

Chronic liver diseases led to nearly 290,000 deaths in 2019 among the nearly 30 million Europeans living with chronic liver disease.

Two-thirds of these diseases could be prevented by lifestyle changes, and at least one-third by prevention and treatment of hepatitis infections.

In Romania, according to INS data, over 50% of the population can be classified as disadvantaged (in terms of socio-economic or educational level), which is associated with a low level of access to medical services.

About the HE-RO-I project

A project of almost one million euros, a team of doctors and nurses from Romania and Iceland, a country where more than 50% of the population can be classified as disadvantaged, and 2 years of caravans in 16 counties, all for disease prevention hepatic. It is about “HE-RO-I: State-of-the-art collaborative ROMANIA-Iceland in the management of chronic HEpathopathies and their complications, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, intended for vulnerable groups in Romania, including Roma”, a project implemented by The “Octavian Fodor” Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Cluj-Napoca, in partnership with the Cluj Branch of the Medical Caravan and the Landspitali hospital in Reykjavik.

The project was financed through the EEA Grants 2014-2021 mechanism with an amount of 998,582.54 euros.

Studies show that almost 30 million Europeans live with chronic liver disease. Every year, about 300,000 of them die from these conditions. Two-thirds of these diseases could be prevented by lifestyle changes alone, and at least one-third by preventing and treating liver infections.

The manager of the Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology “Prof. Dr. Ocatvian Fodor” from Cluj-Napoca, Mihai Mleșnițe, said that the project was important because medical personnel arrived in various hamlets and villages.

“I sit and think, how important this would have been for those people who were visited in various hamlets and villages who may never have set foot on a medical staff. I think it was very important (…) I am glad that in our activity through these projects we are getting closer to the patient, we are going to those patients who have limited access to medical services”, declared Mihai Mleșnițe.

The target audience of the medical caravan was rural communities vulnerable through difficult access to medical services, low socio-economic or educational level, or marginalization based on ethnicity.

Thus, the project team traveled with a mobile caravan equipped with imaging equipment and equipment necessary for the screening and diagnosis of chronic liver diseases (chronic hepatitis, hepatic steatosis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer) and offered medical consultations and recommendations or facilitated, where appropriate , treatment and follow-up of patients in a specialized center.

The project team traveled with a mobile caravan/ Photo: project organizers

The project manager, Horia Ștefănescu, stated that such projects are needed taking into account the incidence of liver diseases and the mortality due to this cause.

“Why are projects like this needed? Because in Romania it has a high incidence in terms of chronic liver diseases and mortality. Things have a very simple explanation. Romania has the lowest level of GDP financing for health, also having a low number of doctors and nurses. We are poorly funded and poorly populated with professionals,” said Horia Ștefănescu.

He explained that if measures were implemented to combat alcohol consumption and obesity, hospital admissions and the incidence of liver cancer would be greatly reduced.

The president of the Caravana cu medici Association, Ana Bilegan, said that 17 caravans with doctors were deployed in a 10-month period. For example, two caravans were organized in Suceava county.

*The areas where the tests were done/ Photo: Paula Copaciu-monitorulcj.ro*

“The Carava association with Cluj branch doctors was established in 2017 (…) What we do is we go to the villages in Transylvania where we consult patients, around 100 people on a Saturday, people who have little access to basic medical services , people from vulnerable groups, uninsured people and together with doctor Ștefănescu and together with the institute we managed to find a place where we can meet and do liver screening during 10 months”, added Ana Bilegan.

From left to right, Horia Ștefănescu-project manager, Ana Bilegan-president of Carana with doctors and Mihai Mleșnițe – Manager of the Regional Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology “Prof. dr. Ocatvian Fodor” Cluj-Napoca / Photo: Paula Copaciu – monitorulcj.ro

Blood tests and consultations for patients

The “He-Ro-I” project tested a sustainable and integrated approach to chronic liver diseases, starting from prevention and increasing access to modern and continuous medical services.

As part of the project, 17 screening caravans were carried out, including in the regional register almost 2,000 people who benefited from blood tests, imaging specific to liver screening, consultations and treatment recommendations, including taking over for investigations and treatment those diagnosed with hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver cancer.

In the included counties, 16 screening packages consisting of ultrasounds and screening tests were donated, supporting the medical staff in the territory in the early detection of liver diseases, and the conclusions of the implementation of the project were translated into recommendations for public health policies.

1,910 patients were tested in the 17 caravans, and the results were as follows: