EU beyond billboards Regional Centre for advanced laser therapies in Ophthalmology – RECALT

1. EU beyond billboards Regional Centre for advanced laser therapies in Ophthalmology – RECALT COD eMS RORS 11 MD PhD Valeria Mocanu Bruxelles, 9th of October 2019

2. Overview Beneficiary: Victor Babeş Medicine and Pharmacy University, Timişoara-Romania Project partner: Municipality of Nova Crnja- Serbia Implementation period: May 2017-May 2019 Priority axis: Development of health and social infrastructure Budget: 1.905.000,47 EURO EU co-financing: 1.619.250,40 EURO

3. BUDGET

4. PROJECT TEAM ROMANIA SERBIA Project manager: MD PhD StancaHoria Tudor Coordinator: VukićDarko Chief medical expert: MD PhD MunteanuMihnea Financial manager: BaloşinLoredana Financial expert: NikolinJelena Technical manager: Sbȃrnӑ Sever Technical expert: MilovanPetrov Medical expert: MD PhD BorugӑOvidiu Medical expert : MD Gvero Milena Medical expert: MD PhD Mocanu Valeria Medical expert: MD PetrovicZarko Medical expert : MD HorvatStančićAgi Medical expert: MD Vučićević Danica Nurse.: Ćorić Nada Nurse: ŠušnjarDušan Data analyst: MilankovVladislava

5. Previous projects Regional Center of Vitreoretinal Surgery and Ophtalmo-oncology, financed through IPA Cross Border Cooperation Romania-Serbia, project code MIS-404, total budget: 674.070 Euro, implementation period: 2010-2012. Cataract - An actuality in public health, financed through PHARE Cross-Border-Cooperation (CBC) RO-SE, project code RO2006/018.448.01.01.07, total budget: 167.000 Euro, implementation period:2008-2009. RetinalDegeneration - A cross border approach, financed through PHARE Cross-Border-Cooperation (CBC), project code RO2006/018.448.01.02.11, total budget: 56.900 Euro,implementation period:2008-2009. Diabetes - The new epidemic in Europa. A neighborhood approach,financed through PHARE Cross-Border-Cooperation (CBC), project code RO2005/017.538.01.01.02, total budget: 110.000 Euro, implementation period:2007-2008.

6. The beginning…..

7. Planning… working meetings between medical team members’ meetings of the coordinating team

8. Project start-up conference

9. PROJECT OBJECTIVES (I)-Implementation period • A. Infrastructure • Endowment of the Timisoara Ophthalmology Clinic with latest generation equipment for retinal disease treatment and laser refractive surgery • Establishment of an ophthalmological office in the SrpskaCrnja Medical Center (Serbia) with the necessary equipment for the screening and treatment of retinal diseases • B. Medical purpose • Free diabetes screening for 10.000 persons • Free ophthalmological examination for 6000 patients • 400 free laser procedures

10. PROJECT OBJECTIVES (II)-Implementation period • C. Education • Training for 50 family doctors • Conferences for promotion health services in the urban, rural, remote-area population and the Roma community • Training for 200 medical students • Hands-on training for 50 ophthalmologists • Creating a website and active community in the ophthalmology field • Publishing of a good practice guide in corneal refractive surgery and retinal pathology • D. Social-economic analysis • Financial analysis and cost-benefit reports for 400 patients, students and healthcare professionals • Cost-benefit guides for hospitals and ophthalmologists

11. PROJECT OBJECTIVES (III)- In the following 5 years… Diagnosis and surgery procedures for a minimum of 1000 citizen of the cross-border area/ year without any direct charges. Train young ophthalmologist in the field of retinal and corneal pathology. To encourage collaborations with other universities in Romania, details concerning the medical equipment purchased within this project was included in the ERRIS platform (Engage în the Romanian Research Infrastructures System) (link https://erris.gov.ro/index.php).

12. PROJECT RESULTS–Infrastructure • TIMIŞOARA OPHTHALMOLOGY CLINIC SchwindPeramis-Sirius Diagnosis platform

13. Zeiss Visumax Femtosecond Laser Excimer Laser Schwind Amaris 750 S

14. IridexMicropulse Laser

15. 2. SRPSKA CRNJA MEDICAL CENTER-SERBIA YAG Laser, Retinal photocoagulation laser unit Fundus Camera Tonometer Autokeratorefractometer Van

16. PROJECT RESULTS–Medical activity

17. Analysis of disadvantaged categories that benefit from free ophthalmological examination

18. Analysis of disadvantaged categories that underwent free laser procedures

19. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (I) Urban population conference (55 participants)

20. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (II) Rural population conference (50 participants)

21. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (III) Rroma population conference (60 participants)

22. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (IV) Family doctors conference (61 participants)

23. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (V) Medical students training (200 participants)

24. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (VI) 4 Medical workshops (50 ophthalmologists)

25. National and international speakers PROJECT RESULTS–Education (VI)

26. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (VI) LIVE surgery

27. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (VI) Hands-on training for ophthalmologists

28. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (VII) RECALT website (316 doctors registered)

29. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (VIII) • Good practice guide in corneal refractive surgery and retinal pathology • (200 copies)

30. PROJECT RESULTS–Education (IX) Medical exchanges

31. PROJECT RESULTS–Socio-economic analysis • Financial analysis and cost-benefit reports for patients, students and healthcare professionals

32. PROJECT RESULTS–Socio-economic impact (I) With the support of the „Regional Centre for Advanced Laser Therapies in Ophthalmology” project, the Ophthalmological Clinic from Timisoara became the first civil (non-military) hospital with refractive surgery platform. Throughout this project patients benefit from free ophthalmological examination and laser procedures without the need for travel to large cities (eg. From Timisoara to Bucharest, or from the Serbian cross-border area to Belgrade). The involvement of the rural, remote-area and Rroma population had a great impact and improved the prevention and early diagnosis of specific eye diseases, with important effects on the quality of life of the population. The project has been designed as to comply with EU requirements on equal opportunities and non‐discrimination and thus ensuring free access for all of the targeted categories to its activities. The medical workshops were focus on the “train the trainers” principle in order to disseminate the medical information throughout the region.

33. PROJECT RESULTS–Socio-economic impact (II) This project approached two important themes: diabetes-the disease of the century with its retinal complications and the corneal pathology. Serbia and Romania are known as one of European countries with the highest prevalence of Diabetes (13.2 % and 11.6 %).* A diabetes screening program was mandatory due to the lack of awareness of the population with regards to the causes and consequences of the aforementioned pathology, the lack of proper diagnose and treatment capacities at regional leveland relatively low levels of income specific to the cross-border population. While the current situation persists, the population is trapped in front of such dishabilitating diseases. * IDF Diabetes Atlas 7th Edition

34. PROJECT RESULTS–Socio-economic impact (III) The refractive platform offered to the general population the opportunity to benefit from free corneal refractive surgery treatment. These surgical procedures impose high costs in private clinics, without being an real option for the general population. * Research concerning the socio-economical implications of refractive pathologies / The social value of refractive surgery services

35. RECALT project in the media https://wwwb.agerpres.ro/comunicate/2019/01/17/comunicat-de-presa-umf-timisoara--243111 https://evz.ro/operatii-de-ochi-in-valoare-de-mii-de-euro-sunt-realizate-gratuit.html https://ziarmedical.ro/2019/01/18/miopie-hipermetropie-sau-astigmatism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ZiarMedical+%28Ziar+Medical%29 https://evz.ro/orasul-din-romania-unde-se-fac-interventii-chirurgicale-gratuite.html https://www.amosnews.ro/timisoara-dispune-de-cele-mai-moderne-tehnologii-medicale-destinate-corectarii-chirurgicale-viciilor https://www.ziuadevest.ro/la-timisoara-se-efectueaza-proceduri-chirurgicale-cu-laser-care-va-pot-scapa-de-ochelari/ https://debanat.ro/2019/01/procedura-chirurgicala-cu-laser-care-va-poate-scapa-de-ochelari-efectuata-gratuit-la-timisoara_245629.html http://www.ziare.com/stiri-timisoara/stiri-business/la-timisoara-se-efectueaza-proceduri-chirurgicale-cu-laser-care-va-pot-scapa-de-ochelari-7546100 https://www.astazi.ro/stiri/stire-orasul-din-romania-unde-se-fac-interventii-chirurgicale-gratuite-pentru-corectarea-vederii-totul-datorita-unui-program-transfrontalier-257853605.html https://voceatimisului.ro/dupa-o-investitie-de-un-milion-de-euro-se-fac-operatii-oftalmologice-cu-laser-gratuite-la-timisoara/ https://www.pressalert.ro/2019/01/operatii-de-mii-de-euro-realizate-gratuit-la-timisoara/

36. RECALT PROJECT REPORT

37. Patients testimonies’ … ,, Now, I look at the world different and I enjoy to see very clear the things around me.’’ ( DenisaL.) ,, I’ve always wanted to get rid of the glasses, but I had no financial support to do it.’’ (Alexandra F.) ,,I am scheduled for the refractive laser surgery. I am so happy!’’ (Enrica S.) ,,Thanks to this project I had the chance to enter the Military Academy.’’ (Roxana M.) ,, In the operating room I had people around me, then doctors.’’ (Ramona P.)

38. Thank you !