site.btaFive Bulgarian Patients to Undergo Lung Transplant Surgery in Vienna Every Year

January 25 (BTA) - Five Bulgarian patients will undergo
lung transplant surgery in Vienna every year, Health Minister
Kiril Ananiev told journalists. He was speaking Friday after
meeting with Prof. Walter Klepetko, President of the European
Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery and head of the
Department of Thoracic Surgery with the Vienna Medical
University.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov was also at the meeting.

Bulgaria has a waiting list of 14 people who need lung
transplant. The last lung transplant contract expired in 2017
and four patients from the waiting list have reportedly died.

Ananiev said that an agreement has been signed for training
Bulgarian doctors in the field of lung transplants. The doctors
will be from St. Ekaterina Hospital and the Military Medical
Academy. The St. Ekaterina hospital will provide post-surgery
care.

The agreement will make it possible to do lung transplanations
in Bulgaria in the beginning of 2021, the Health Minister said.

The document has already been sent to Eurotransplant and
Bulgaria will apply officially for membership in the
organization in the coming days, the minister added.

Prof. Klepetko stressed the need to raise awareness of the
importance of  organ donation. He said it is their wish to make
lung transplants in Bulgaria possible.

He said that Vienna has considerable experience in helping other
 countries to train specialists in lung transplantations, and
added that he is glad Bulgaria is joining the implementation of
this major project. The development of such a system for lung
transplant surgery is complex and needs support from the state
top brass, he added, expressing satisfaction with the talks with
 Ananiev and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. 

Prof. Klepetko was decorated by Health Minister Ananiev with a
Golden Badge of Honour of the Ministry as a token of gratitude
for his professional attitude and work with Bulgarian patients
and medical professionals. LY/BR/LN