Two University Hospitals jointly founded a Coronary Failure Centre

Near East University Hospital and Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital jointly founded a Coronary Failure Centre where the Lifelong Medical Examination Expenses of Advanced Coronary Disease Patients will be provided by the Foundation.

A press conference was held by Departments of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery of Near East University Hospital and Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital. It was stated that the ‘Coronary Failure Centre’ was jointly founded by the two University Hospitals so as to raise the public’s awareness on cardiovascular diseases, to provide holistic medicine opportunities to patients and to raise awareness on future applications.

During the press conference, it was stated that the medical expenses of patients diagnosed with advanced coronary disease will be provided by the Foundation; expenses regarding lifelong examinations, as outpatients, and medical follow-ups.

Coronary Failure Centre will be providing health services with its 15 cardiology and cardiovascular surgery specialists...

During the press conference, Chief Physician of Near East University Hospital Dr. Sevim Erkmen; Chief Physician of Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Prof. Dr. Nail Bulakbaşı; Head of Department of Cardiology of Near East University Prof. Dr. Hamza Duygu; Head of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Near East University Prof. Dr. Aşkın Ali Korkmaz; Specialist at Department of Cardiology of Near East University Hospital Prof. Dr. Onur Akpınar; Chief Physician of Coronary Failure Centre Assist. Prof. Dr. Hatice Kemal; Head of Department of Cardiology of Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uğur Coşkun; Specialists in Department of Cardiology of Near East University Hospital Assoc. Prof. Dr. Levent Cerit and Dr. Belma Taşel were present at the press conference as details on the Coronary Failure Centre was provided. The opening speech of the press conference was done by Chief Physician of Near East University Hospital Dr. Sevim Erkmen. During her speech, she emphasised the vital significance of coronary failure and that this was a disease threatening people throughout the world; such that the death toll from coronary failure is rated as 1st. She emphasised that the rate of keeping patients with this disease alive was much lower than patients with colon, breast and prostate cancers. In this regard, she stressed the significance and the essentiality of founding a coronary failure centre.

Prof. Dr. Hamza Duygu: “With this program which we initiated to follow-up coronary failure patients on the island, we will be able to make diagnosis, examinations and relative treatments...”

Making a speech, Head of Department of Cardiology of Near East University Hospital Prof. Dr. Hamza Duygu, expressed that they were aiming to raise awareness on coronary failure as it was a disease that had become more common over the past few years. He added that coronary failure became such a common disease that it was observed more widely than many other different cancer types, and in fact much fatal than other diseases. In this regard, he stressed the significance of raising awareness on this disease and added that it was necessary to provide opportunities for early diagnosis and relative treatments. He explained that coronary failure was a clinical symptom in which the heart muscle is deprived of the blood necessary to meet its functional needs as a result of narrowing or blocking of one or more of the coronary arteries. Prof. Dr. Hamza Duygu further asserted that heart diseases were observed in 2% of the population and that it was quite common due to aging populations.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Hatice Kemal: “It is rather important to provide a team of experts at a single location to help advanced coronary disease patients in terms of early intervention so as to extend the patients’ life expectancy”.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Hatice Kemal stated that Ege University in Turkey has a very significant Coronary Failure Centre and that she had the honour of working there as she provided health services to coronary failure patients. She stressed that it was rather important to provide a centre as such where a team of experts can improve the life quality of patients, extend their life expectancy via regular check-ups and follow-ups on drug usage. She emphasised that every patient with coronary disease needs to have a good rapport with his/her doctor and that there is always the possibility of their health condition getting worse and therefore are in need of regular controls.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Hatice Kemal further asserted that the Coronary Failure Centre founded by Near East University Hospital and Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital, will be a centre that will provide advanced coronary disease patients to have regular check-ups by experienced and highly skilled specialists. Their regular check-ups will be provided free of charge and the patients will be able to consult experts for possible treatment and prospective surgery options. Assist. Prof. Dr. Hatice Kemal provided further details on contemporary drugs used in the field and stated that these drugs had the potential to extend lives of coronary disease patients.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uğur Coşkun: “This centre will help to fully raise the awareness of patients”

Also making a statement, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uğur Coşkun stated that the Coronary Failure Centre will be cooperating with Dr. Suat Günsel University of Kyrenia Hospital and that early diagnosis of this disease was very significant. Furthermore, regular check-ups were as necessary and essential as early diagnosis, therefore, coronary disease patients were going to be provided regular check-ups every three months.

Prof. Dr. Aşkın Ali Korkmaz: “As the Near East University Hospital Cardiovascular Surgery team, we are ready to carry out all sorts of cardiovascular surgeries!”

Head of Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Near East University Hospital, Prof. Dr. Aşkın Ali Korkmaz asserted that the cardiovascular surgery team was ready to perform and they were many experienced in many different types of cardiovascular surgeries such as coronary bypass and valve surgeries. However, despite these medical and surgical interventions, there could be patients whose health condition may not be kept under control; in which case they needed to perform a heart transplant. Prof. Dr. Aşkın Ali Korkmaz proudly emphasised that they were quite experienced in heart transplant surgeries as well. He added that certain certificates were required and that Assist. Prof. Dr. Özlem Balcıoğlu had the required certificates as well as the required experience for these surgeries.