- The opening of the department after the renovation is a very important caesura for me. We are coming to the end of the struggle with the matter, which has not kept up with our modern work - says Prof. Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk, Head of the Department of Neurology MUW. -From the beginning of 2025, we will be doing only - or as much as - what we were established for: diagnosing and treating patients in very good conditions. The renovation took a year and a half. It was a difficult time for our patients and the whole team, but the most important thing is the happy ending - the professor concludes.
It is worth noting that the Department of Neurology has for many decades been a center with a very distinguished expert position not only in Poland, but also in Europe.
- Our trademark are rare neuromuscular diseases in children and adults - says Prof. Kostera-Pruszczyk. -We also have an excellent team treating demyelinating diseases, a very good stroke unit. We maintain a very good level, while until now our big problem was the conditions in which the patients were housed and in which our team worked. The department moved to the CCH MUW at Banacha in 1986. Back then, hospitals were built very differently, without thinking, for example, about patients with disabilities. Over those almost 40 years, medicine had advanced, and our infrastructure had lagged behind.
The renovation of the department was therefore a necessity, and the funds for the modernization were obtained from the state budget as a targeted grant from the Ministry of Health.
-The Health Ministry's share of this investment was substantial. The modernization of the Department of Neurology with the Stroke Unit received more than PLN 20 million in subsidies - says Marek Kos, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health. And he stresses that for patients this is a colossal change. Considering that this building was built in 1986 - so almost 40 years have passed - it is obvious that it has already been heavily exploited. For patients, this modernization means entering the 21st century, that is, entering normalcy.
The renovation of the department will, of course, benefit patients the most, but is this investment also important for the Medical University of Warsaw?
-For our university, this modernization is important from the perspective of introducing modern diagnostics and therapy - says Prof. Agnieszka Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska, Vice Rector for Clinical Affairs and Investments MUW. -It is worth noting that the Medical University of Warsaw occupies an important place in the national and world neurology. This is due to the scientific achievements of Professor Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk and members of her team. I think that this new base will open up new opportunities for our staff, thanks to which we will be even better recognized in the world - not only scientifically, but also as a center for diagnosing and treating new diseases - the vice rector stresses.
A very big qualitative change is evident after the department renovation. Comfortable patient rooms have been adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. The equipment of the neurological intensive care unit, the equipment of the diagnostic laboratories and the physiotherapy room have been modernized.
- Now our patients are in very good conditions, and our expert team is able to provide them with modern diagnostics and therapy in an environment at the level of good European centers - Professor Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk concludes.
And when asked about future plans, she replies:
-They are very simple. A lot of hard, intensive work. We are moving forward vigorously in a more comfortable environment than before. And there is really a lot to do. Today we can help many more patients than was possible just a few years ago. This is especially true for patients with rare neuromuscular diseases, for the treatment of which further great breakthroughs are being made. Our department's team not only participates in these breakthroughs, but also actively shapes them. Moreover, it is important to know that the number of patients suffering from neurological diseases is increasing. According to data published by the European Academy of Neurology, expenditures on the treatment and prevention of neurological diseases in the coming years will exceed the ceiling that was expected for cardiovascular diseases or oncological diseases. So the epidemic of brain diseases is not just a media slogan, but a reality.
The opening ceremony of the Department of Neurology at the UCC MUW took place on January 8 this year. The symbolic cutting of the ribbon was done by Dr. Marek Kos, Prof. Agnieszka Cudnoch-Jędrzejewska, Prof. Anna Kostera-Pruszczyk and Marzena Kowalczyk, Deputy Director of the UCC MUW.
