A short summary of the interview with
Prof. DRAGOMIR KOEV,
Head of the Clinic of Diabetes at the clinical center of Endocrinology at the Medical University-Sofia, president of the Bulgarian scholarly association of Endocrinology
by Aida PANIKYAN
Broadcasted by Information AGENCY “BALKAN” on
April 5 2002 and published in the daily “Spectur Silistra”-Silistra on
April 9, in the daily “Doboudzahska tribuna”-Dobrich on April
17 and in the daily “Posrednik”-Pleven on May 28
The interview describes the problem with the osteoporosis in Bulgaria. In its beginning are shown data about the suffering people form all over the world as well the social and economic cost of the disease also its consequences. The data are taken
from USA and EU countries. In the Bulgarian doctors opinion the number
of people estimated to be at risk for osteoporosis and low bone mass is
about 1 million.In the body of the story Prof. Koev describes the osteoporosis: explains how it starts without visible symptoms, how it injures not only postmenopausal women but also men and young people. He gives a large information about the osteoporosis at whole and says that patients and the government do not recognize how serious osteoporosis is. The professor expresses his worry about the insufficient concern with the disease’s seriousness and the not enough paid attention from the government and the patients. This year the National Health Insurance Found starts a small part from the reimbursement of the of densitometric examinations. It is not much, but this is a progress and there is hope that the government will undertake the problem. In Prof. Koev’s opinion, it should be reimbursed bigger percentage of the drugs and bigger quantity of the medicines for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis should be reimbursed too, not only for women with premature menopause. His point is that whole the government and society should work for the ability of giving knowledge about the osteoporosis and mainly to be invest in preventing of the disease, not in its consequences. This is because the treatment of the fractures of osteoporosis has high economical and social cost. “The government and the society must know that the invest about preventing the disease, which becomes epidemic for Bulgaria too, in fact, is cheaper than its treatment” said Prof. Koev. He also mentioned that the cost of this disorder is extremely high and it affects the quality of life: pain, suffering, isolation, immobilization, dependence, financial burden.
