The ESO’s evaluation assesses the speed and efficiency of patient care, as well as its compliance with professional standards. The department offers care 24/7 at the highest quality standards, with therapy commencing promptly, within one hour of admission. This is all the more remarkable as the department is Europe’s busiest stroke intervention center: It treated over 1,000 cases last year, including 760 patients in serious condition, who required mechanical blood clot removal in addition to thrombolysis.
“Semmelweis University has expanded its portfolio with several disciplines recently, and these mergers have enriched both parties and served the interests of patient care. An outstanding example of this is the recent recognition received by our Department of Neurosurgery and Neurointervention,” said Rector Dr. Béla Merkely. As he pointed out, this independent European evaluation also clearly demonstrates that the March 2024 merger of Semmelweis University and the National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery (OMIII) has improved the stroke care program.
“This has made Semmelweis University one of the world’s leading stroke care providers. I am delighted that our institution has an increasing number of specialties, such as cardiovascular medicine and stroke care, where we are at the forefront of Europe and the world for the benefit of our patients,” emphasized Dr. Béla Merkely.
“This is the first time the stroke care program at the department on Amerikai Street has accomplished such a feat, thanks in part to the university merger that has aligned its operations with the Department of Neurology,” said Dr. Sándor Nardai, Head of the Neurointerventional Ward at the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurointervention. “What this means in practice is that while we can focus on stroke cases, the Department of Neurology relieves us of the burden of general neurological cases. This has enabled us to provide the full spectrum of stroke management in addition to interventional stroke care. This means we can continuously provide medications to dissolve blood clots, thus guaranteeing the highest quality criteria until the end of the process,” said Dr. Sándor Nardai, stressing that this recognition is proof that the merger of the university and OMIII has brought significant improvements in patient care.
Pálma Dobozi, Éva Haiman, Anita Szepesi
Translation: Judit Szabados-Dőtsch
Photos by Attila Kovács, Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University
