Hospital Visit in Bucharest

Romania's health care has a bad reputation, and with good reason according to various reports from the BBC and NYT. After joining the European Union 1/1/2007 the country has been struggling with nationwide improvements of standards of care, general access to prompt medical attention and even bribery.  But, they are trying.  I was lucky enough to join some work-force ladies associated with Mark's place of employment on a tour of a remodeled teaching hospital in downtown Bucharest. 

Renovated lecture theater, with original ramrod seating
guaranteed to keep and student awake.

A light stirrup session.

Gonna spew? Spew into this.

We met Dr. Sorin, a physician involved in surgery and research who gave us a tour of his proverbial "baby," Spitalul Cultea, a three hundred year old hospital that has been to hell and back. This hospital specializes in cancers, especially of the ear, neck and throat, and hematologic disorders. Site specific specialization is common throughout the country. 

First thing I noticed was how clear of debris the hallways were. Venturing through Urgent Care, we passed by several patients seated in the hallways into an exam room that had the same packaged, sterilized instruments used in the States. Their choice of sterilization is steam. Coming into the radiology department, chock full of medical students, they showed off their brachytherapy machines, mammogram room, and CT scanner, all a familiar brand: Siemens. 

Brachytherapy

Boobs.

Baby.

The ICU was terribly interesting, as the patients were all lined up bed by bed full of complicated lines, pumps, and ventilators.  They do not have separate rooms or even curtains to provide privacy, but the nurses can view their 2:1 patients easily during their twelve hour shifts.  Their proudest additions are the touch screen Drager ventilators. It was quite intimidating.

Mrs. Ambassador, ICU Director, Lindsey P., Me, RN of Hematology, RN of ICU

Moving onto the OR, I was impressed to see surgical towers of comparable equipment, familiar to my rusty eyes from the glory days of surgery: Aesculap, Valleylab, Drager, all seemingly cleaner some U.S. operating rooms I've been in. Their case carts looked the same, as did the giant walls of suture available to surgeons who would no doubt, not get what they "really need."   Q: What do you call a basement full of surgeons? A: Whine cellar! 

Septoplasty anyone? 

This'll only hurt a minute.

Renovations continue to be underway, but they made significant changes over the past several years, and Dr. Sorin hopes to dynamically impact Bucharest's standards of quality health care and patient safety. It was an absolute pleasure to see their perseverance in action.