The Regional Centre for Advanced Laser Therapies in Ophthalmology in Timisoara, Romania offers high-quality, free medical services and laser surgeries to treat a range of eye diseases. Opened thanks to an EU investment in the RECALT project, this centre is unique to the Romania-Serbia cross-border region and the whole of south-eastern Europe.
- 12 April 2019
Within the project, the investments include state-of-the-art medical equipment for diagnosis and surgical interventions in corneal and retinal pathology, as well as diabetes-related ophthalmic diseases. The equipment installed in the Clinic of Ophthalmology Timisoara is used to offer free-of-charge medical services for the citizens.
The centre’s medical equipment includes state-of-the-art lasers which are used to target corneal and retinal pathologies and eye problems associated with diabetes. The centre is housed in Timisoara’s existing Clinic of Ophthalmology. During the course of the RECALT project, the centre is helping 16 000 people. Of this number, about 10 000 are being tested for diabetes; around 6 000 are benefiting from specific ophthalmic investigations. Around 400 of these patients will receive surgery. In the five years after the project finishes, doctors at the centre will continue to help at least 1 000 people every year, without direct charges.
Addressing needs
The new centre addresses a real need in this cross-border region, which has an extremely high incidence of diabetic eye disease and corneal and retinal pathologies. Lifestyle issues, a lack of public awareness, and a lack of proper diagnosis and treatment have combined to make this an important medical problem. As well as treating patients, the centre offers professional training to family doctors on eye diseases, which should help significantly improve early diagnosis.
RECALT complements other initiatives the project team initiated over the past 10 years to build ophthalmology services that focus on different parts of the eye. This project covers diseases specific to the cornea and retina thereby closing the circle of diagnosis and treatment.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Regional Centre for advanced laser therapies in Ophthalmology – RECALT” is EUR 1 905 000, with the EU’s Interreg IPA fund contributing EUR 1 619 250 through the “Interreg IPA Cross-border Cooperation Romania-Serbia” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Employment promotion and basic services strengthening for inclusive growth”.