Gastroenterology at MOBAL “Dr. Stefan Cherkezov” turned 50 years old. On this occasion, past and present doctors, nurses and orderlies gathered to mark the anniversary.
The department was opened on November 1, 1973, and from then until now it has established itself as one of the leading ones in Central Northern Bulgaria.
The first head of the department was Dr. Tsoni Tsonev, and Todorka Rayanova was the first senior nurse of the department, who admitted the first patient exactly 50 years ago. To her delight, Rayanova together with her colleagues celebrated the half-century anniversary.
“In the beginning, several doctors were appointed, and I was the only nurse, there were no orderlies. That’s how we started to gather a team, I went around the neighboring villages and that’s how we found paramedics. Gradually, the team began to gather, and on November 1, 1973, we officially opened the III internal department, which in 2007 became the gastroenterology department”, recalls senior nurse Rayanova, who devoted 26 years of her life to the department.
In 1990, Dr. Nayden Naydenov took over the leadership of the department, and from 2012 until now, Dr. Yana Koleva has been the head of the department. She started working as a ward doctor under the guidance of the doctors of the III Internal Department in 1986, and from then until today, her entire professional path has been connected with it.
Today, Dr. Koleva successfully leads the gastroenterology department, which consists of six doctors, including two specialists, and all of them work in ultrasound and endoscopic diagnostics. Three are with the specialty “Gastroenterology” and one with the specialty “Internal Diseases”.
“During all these years, the specialty “Gastroenterology” has developed a lot. When I started working, endoscopic diagnostics were coming in, then ultrasound diagnostics developed”, says the head of the department, Dr. Yana Koleva.
Modern gastroenterology is very close to surgery, and in the last ten years the challenges for doctors have been extremely serious.
“We work with extremely good equipment, with video systems. This made it possible for gastroenterology, in addition to being a diagnostic specialty, to develop in a therapeutic direction as well. Polypectomies, blood stops are performed, and this leads to the rapid healing of the patient.
We also managed to develop the hepatological focus, and thanks to the cooperation of leading clinics from Sofia, we were allowed to prepare, stage and send patients with chronic hepatitis B and C for treatment. I.e. the patients from Veliko Tarnovo and the region are thus saved from long trips to Sofia, inconveniences during their preparation and treatment. The department actively participates in a number of programs in the mode of clinical studies in the field of “Hepatology” and specific inflammatory diseases of the small and large intestines, which gives self-confidence to the working colleagues, new knowledge, the opportunity for new contacts and development”, adds Mr. r Koleva.
The anniversary of gastroenterology was honored by the executive director of the hospital, Dr. Daniel Iliev, the medical director, Dr. Galina Gareva, and the head nurse, Yordanka Minekova.
“For half a century, you have been working tirelessly for the development of one of the main structures of the regional hospital, improving yourselves as specialists and implementing the most modern methods of treatment. Thanks to these efforts of yours, patients find here security and peace of mind for their health, and the department is definitely among the leaders in Central Northern Bulgaria”, welcomes everyone whose professional path is connected with the department, Dr. Daniel Iliev.
