Luanda — The start of the national interventional neuroradiology project will have a significant financial impact on the Angolan state. Previously, the state spent between 200,000 and 300,000 US dollars per patient on treatment abroad, the Health Minister, Silvia Lutucuta, said on Wednesday.
Neuroradiology is a subspecialty of radiology that uses advanced imaging technologies, such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the brain, spinal cord, spine, head, and neck. It is divided into diagnostic and interventional areas.
The minister made the statement while visiting citizens undergoing minimally invasive treatment procedures for vascular and cerebral pathologies at the Pedro Maria Tonha Pedalé Hospital Complex.
According to Lutucuta, these figures included the cost of specialized surgery and hospitalization in intensive care units, which could exceed 3,000 US dollars per day, as well as expenses for air transport, accommodation, additional examinations and medication.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Lutucuta clarified that, with the first procedures performed in the public network this week, Angola will now be able to treat highly complex cerebrovascular pathologies locally, drastically reducing the costs associated with international medical evacuation.
The minister emphasized that this initiative signifies a significant shift in the Unified Health System.
"We are celebrating another historic milestone. Today, we can offer this treatment free of charge to patients, providing technical, financial and, above all, educational benefits," she said.
The minister announced that five patients have undergone procedures in the project's new phase, including a patient with severe cerebral haemorrhaging. All of the patients are making positive clinical progress and have already been discharged from the ICU.
Celestino Delgado, the head of the hospital's Radiology Service, explained that 99% of the team is made up of Angolan professionals, including doctors, anaesthetists, radiologists and neurosurgeons.
He added that the forecast is to perform 12-13 interventions by the end of the mission, which will consolidate the start of a permanent national program.
The project forms part of a broader strategy to modernize the sector and includes the international training of Angolan personnel. MEL/OHA/AMP
