Today, in the European Parliament, Maria da Graça Carvalho participated in an event organized by the European Critical Care Foundation (ECCF) hosted by MEP Antigoni Papadopoulou. The debate pretended to improve access to life-saving therapy for acute heart attack patients which highlighted that differences in the organisation of healthcare systems, such as emergency transport systems, hospital networks and treatment reimbursement agreements, cause huge health inequalities across the European Union.
During her intervention, Maria da Graça Carvalho said that "the existing health inequalities across the European Union represent a major public health concern. Our duty as politicians is to do our best to improve access to life-saving therapy for acute heart attack patients throughout Member States".
"We need to remember that cardiovascular diseases, which can lead to heart attacks, contribute to more fatalities than all cancers combined," explained MEP Antigoni Papadopoulou. "This is a worrying fact - not just because of the burden on health systems it causes, but also for what it means to those of us whose lives can be changed forever when an acute heart attack occurs."
Commenting on some of the research which ECCF presented during the policy debate, Professor John Martin, Chairman of the Board, ECCF, explained "Our research into access to p-PCI across Europe has shown that patients are not getting the proper treatment because of rather surprising factors, such as emergency transport response times and lack of coordination between hospitals." Elaborating on why access to p-PCI is so essential for treating acute heart attack patients, he said "p-PCI is a life-saving therapy for patients, that provides better recovery, speedier return to work and therefore better quality of life. Currently, access to p-PCI varies anywhere from 5 to 92% depending on the country in which you live. This is an appalling health inequality because governments and care providers have a duty to ensure access to the best possible treatment."
Organised in close collaboration with Stent for Life Initiative, the ECCF debate brought together EU policy makers, cardiologists, medical researchers, industry partners and other concerned stakeholders to identify the existing gaps, give new impetus to cooperation and review the political developments that are needed to address these inequalities in Europe.