site.btaBulgarian Charity Organizes Free Check-ups in Mala Prespa, Albania

More than 200 patients were examined during the second round of free preventive check-ups for residents of Mala Prespa, Albania, held over the past two months, the Bulgarian Memory Foundation said. This was the fourth such initiative in the past three years.

The medical mission was organized and funded by the Bulgarian Memory Foundation and its chair, Milen Vrabevski, with the support of the Bulgarian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence and in coordination with Albania’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

The medical teams included specialists from the Prof. Ivan Chernozemski University Hospital of Oncology, St Ivan Rilski University Hospital, St Anna University Hospital, and Pulmed University Hospital. Examinations were carried out in the fields of mastology, urology, ophthalmology, neurology, and otorhinolaryngology.

The team was led by Prof. Ivan Gavrilov, head of the thoracic surgery department at the Prof. Ivan Chernozemski University Hospital of Oncology. He identified two early-stage carcinomas in October, the month dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. The patients were immediately referred for follow-up treatment, as early detection offers excellent chances of recovery.

The examinations attracted strong interest, with local residents expressing heartfelt gratitude to the Bulgarian doctors for their care and attention.

“The Bulgarian doctors gave us hope. For us, these are not just examinations but a sign that we have not been forgotten,” an elderly woman from the village of Pustets said following her consultation.

The initiative is part of the Bulgarian Memory Foundation’s long-term programme to improve the quality of life in the Mala Prespa, home to an indigenous Bulgarian community. The programme seeks to provide access to specialized healthcare services that are otherwise unavailable in the area, the Foundation noted.