"Yesterday morning, when I arrived at work, I was greeted by a patient with devastating chest pain. An ECG verifies an acute myocardial infarction ("heart attack"). The patient is extremely hemodynamically unstable. Aware of the situation that transport to Travnik cannot survive as such, I call the internal reception of KUM at the Clinical Center in Sarajevo. I explain to my colleague from KUM the situation that the patient is in a critical condition, the colleague answers that she should go to them and that she will prepare everything necessary for her admission. Since the patient's condition is deteriorating during transport and we do not have a cardiomobile, the Sarajevo HMP takes over the patient in Vogošća and drives to KUCS. A stent is placed on the patient there, thus stabilizing her condition. As such, with urgent PCI (primary percutaneous coronary intervention) the patient has a good chance of survival. It is something that we in medicine call a "golden watch". And the "golden hour" is the reason why I am writing all this to you. Situations like this are our everyday life, except that not all patients are lucky enough to be sent to Sarajevo immediately. The lack of interventional cardiology in our canton is a burning problem that few, except for doctors in Travnik and Nova Bila who are forced to take care of and keep alive patients without the possibility of emergency PCI, have a hearing. The "Golden Hour" saved someone's life yesterday. "Golden Hour" is a luxury that SBK Canton residents do NOT have. "
Dr.Indira Melezović
