Today, June 5, 2024 in Sofia, the Association for Stroke and Aphasia participated in a public discussion on Aphasia at the election pavilion of the candidates for national and European Parliament from GERB-UDF. The discussion was hosted by the municipal councilors from the Sofia Municipality Mrs. Ekaterina Yordanova and Anna Stoykova. The discussion was attended by the candidate for the National Assembly Prof. Dr. Lachezar Ivanov and the candidates for EP Andrey Kovachev and Alina Milusheva.
Prof. Ivanov introduced the attendees to stroke, its risk factors and symptoms by which we can recognize it. He emphasized the need for therapy to be personalized as a trend in modern medical treatment.
The Association for Stroke and Aphasia was presented by the Chairperson Dorina Dobreva, who outlined the role of the organization in the fight against stroke and ensuring access to modern and timely treatment of stroke and aphasia. She presented the patient election manifesto of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia and other European patient organizations, calling for active action to improve access to modern and quality treatment of stroke and aphasia and improve the quality of life of those affected and their families.
Speech therapist aphasiologist, Marina Arnaut, brought the problem of aphasia through the eyes of a specialist, synthesizing four main problems to solve:
1. The role of the speech therapist at the different stages of the recovery process is important.
2. Lack of information about what disorders a speech therapist aphasiologist deals with and, accordingly, how he can help a person with aphasia to improve his quality of life.
3. Accessibility for speech therapist services is severely limited due to the lack of a clinical pathway.
4. Opening of speech therapy rooms for working with adults in the DCC areas and the involvement of GPs in the dissemination of information about the existence of speech therapists aphasiologists and their specifics of work.
With a short presentation, Dr. Georgi Georgiev, Deputy Chairman of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia explained to the attendees the essence of aphasia, summarizing the problematic boundaries and threats and focusing the attention of the participants in the discussion on possible solutions, as follows:
On a European scale:
Focusing on aphasia as a primordial need – access to communication is a basic human right. EP candidates Andrey Kovachev and Alina Milusheva committed to this. With Mr. Kovachev, the Association for Stroke and Aphasia worked extremely successfully, and with his support the patient manifesto of stroke survivors in Europe was submitted to the EPP's election manifesto, where measures to promote cardiovascular health were recognized.
At national level:
Adoption of a national multidisciplinary consensus on the treatment of aphasia.
Creating a clinical pathway for treatment and structuring support for maintenance therapy. These two initiatives were supported by Prof. Lachezar Ivanov, who also accepted as a personal cause the fight against stroke and aphasia in Bulgaria.
At municipal level:
Creation of municipal programs to support the treatment of aphasia and support the opening of specialized aphasia offices at municipal medical institutions, etc. Municipal councilors Ekaterina Yordanova and Anna Stoykova shared the vision of the Association for Stroke and Aphasia, committing to prepare a report to the Sofia City Council with proposals to support aphasia in the capital city in a short time.
We are happy that we met many people. Their questions were diverse and highlighted the lack of support in Bulgaria for aphasia and insufficient support in the fight against stroke.
We also met new friends, such as Mrs. Rositsa Bakalova, a nurse by profession, a long-time lecturer at the Medical College in Sofia and the creator of the Bulgarian Tapestry – more of a hobby – more of her life mission.
Regardless of the busy day, we find time for a little sport (the meeting is a training match and the winner was definitely health and good mood).