PATIENTS FROM UKRAINE ARE TREATED AT THE AMETHYST RADIOTHERAPY CENTER IN KRAKOW

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These are people at very different stages of cancer and at different stages of treatment. Due to the situation they find themselves in, only some of them have full medical documentation, which allows them to immediately determine the needs and refer the patient to the appropriate clinic. During the visit, we also offer the support of a translator, which enables appropriate mutual communication between the doctor and the patient.

"We realize that this situation is extraordinary because, in addition to the illness, the patient is also burdened by the emotions associated with the tragedy of war. Even before the armed conflict began, Amethyst provided commercial services to foreign patients, including those from Ukraine. This gives us the appropriate knowledge and experience in serving them. Of course, currently, in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, we are obligated to provide medical services financed by the National Health Fund. We also have the assistance of an interpreter, have established a hotline, and have prepared the required documents in Ukrainian. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire team, who demonstrated great empathy and navigated this difficult situation, " says Przemysław Zachwieja, President of the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in Krakow.

An important role in the entire process is played by the Patient Service Point, whose task is to verify and select patients who come to the center. This is an extremely demanding task, because already at this stage we have to determine whether the patient who comes to Amethyst can be treated here.

Olga Pojan, a long-time collaborator with the Center for Radiotherapy in Krakow, coordinates Ukrainian-language services for Ukrainian patients at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center in Krakow. To streamline operations, we launched a dedicated Ukrainian-language hotline, +48 12 33 57 400, in early March . The hotline is open daily, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. A dedicated email address has also been established: ua@amethyst-rtcp.pl . Thanks to the work of the entire reception team and the initial patient selection process, we can focus on providing care to those eligible. There are cases in which those who come to the Center requesting help are unable to receive treatment there. In such cases, they are redirected to the Rydygier Hospital, which collaborates with Amethyst, or other facilities.

"We receive several calls every day from Ukrainian patients wanting to continue their treatment with us. Due to the highly specific and specialized nature of the treatment provided at the Radiotherapy Center, these patients are not simply random. They usually have a preliminary action plan in place and have consulted with our medical coordinator. Occasionally, we receive completely new patients, and in such cases, we try to provide them with information about further treatment options or redirect them to other facilities, including the Oncology Department at the Rydygier Hospital, which collaborates with us, " says Viktoriia Kovalska from the Patient Service Center at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Clinic in Krakow.

The most common problems we encounter when serving Ukrainian patients are:

  • Incomplete or missing medical documentation
  • No translations of medical documentation
  • The choice of a treatment facility that does not adequately meet the health needs - Amethyst's activities are highly specialized (radiotherapy oncology) and sometimes patients come to us who require completely different treatment methods.

Every patient treated at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center has the same right to receive medical services. However, each case is always considered individually, and doctors working at the Center perform from a dozen to several dozen consultations and procedures every day. There is one queue for everyone, and the date and time of admitting a patient is always decided by doctors.

"There is no other access path to radiotherapy treatment than that resulting from the current health status of the patient coming to us. Polish and Ukrainian patients are classified for treatment under the same conditions and principles. This is decided on a case-by-case basis by the doctors during a consultation, after a detailed review of the patient's medical records and medical history, " notes Marta Urbańska-Gąsiorowska, a radiotherapist at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center.

Since the beginning of March, several dozen Ukrainian patients have applied for treatment at the Amethyst Radiotherapy Center. Some of them have already had their first treatments, some are completing their medical documentation or are undergoing consultations with doctors working at the Center.