The hospital in Mostyska (Lviv region) was the first to apply. The staff are highly committed and determined — participation in this project is a matter of survival for them. The new equipment will be extremely valuable, as they had previously been working with devices dating back to the 1970s.
Whenever she talks about the joint implementation of the project, she emphasises the exceptional commitment of the partner on the other side of the border:
Cooperation with them is excellent because they genuinely care. The hospital director, Viktor Kopach, has repeatedly pointed out that for years they had been under-equipped. They did not have modern gastroscopy or colonoscopy equipment, nor even a CT scanner, which made development impossible and significantly limited the range of diagnostic examinations.
The equipment purchased under the project has already been delivered to the hospital in Mostyska. It includes a modern workstation for video gastroscopy and video colonoscopy, as well as a computed tomography (CT) scanner. The partners will now work on integrating the equipment into a shared system with the Polish project leader. This will enable cross-border cooperation and medical consultations — the key dimension of the project, which could not be achieved without cross-border collaboration.
Photo report from the procedure room
The project leader, the Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski MSWiA Hospital in Białystok, is implementing the project “Implementation of a Programme for the Prevention of Gastrointestinal Diseases in the Polish–Ukrainian Border Area through the Use of Highly Specialised Medical Equipment and Telemedicine Tools” (acronym GastroCare), focused on the prevention of gastrointestinal cancers.
This is the first time we are participating in the Poland–Ukraine Programme. In this project, we have focused primarily on modern medical equipment, as well as on systems for data registration, processing and archiving, and on enabling online medical consultations
One of the key elements of the project (in addition to the purchase of medical equipment) is the specialised PAaCS system (Picture Archiving and Communication System). It enables real-time recording of medical examinations and the direct transfer of images and video files from the procedure room to the system. In one place, medical staff will have access to photo and video materials, examination descriptions, results, and archived data.
This system will significantly streamline data management, as we currently use separate software for recording examinations, preparing descriptions and archiving data. It will also allow us to create a comprehensive platform that can be used by both medical professionals and patients.
Medical examinations and consultations online
On a dedicated platform, patients will find a wide range of information on disease prevention, the course of individual medical examinations, and step-by-step guidance on how to prepare for them.
Patients will be able to create their own accounts or, using a referral number, access the medical examination they underwent — including results, descriptions, as well as photo and even video recordings. This will enable patients, for example, to consult another specialist.
In addition, the platform will feature articles written by medical staff about interesting medical procedures and innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods used in the partner institutions.
The platform will also serve both partners as a tool for professional medical consultations. Access to recorded examinations will make it possible to seek second opinions, support professional training and acquire new knowledge. The platform will enable cross-border exchange of medical information and experience.
Growing awareness and an increasing number of medical examinations
Both hospitals will have access to modern medical equipment. The Ukrainian partner is already using the new equipment, while the hospital in Białystok plans to purchase its equipment in the first quarter of 2026. This will include, among others, a gastroscope, colonoscope and an endoscope with an ultrasound head for EUS examinations, which the hospital has not previously had.
EUS (endoscopic ultrasound) combines endoscopy with ultrasound, enabling detailed imaging of the gastrointestinal tract and the performance of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as biopsies of detected lesions.
New equipment is essential, as it allows medical examinations to be transmitted to the PAaCS system. In addition, our hospital, with its gastroenterology sub-unit, performs several hundred procedures each month. We work very intensively, which results in rapid equipment wear. Therefore, replacement and upgrading are extremely important for us. The number of medical examinations is increasing — not only due to the strong reputation of our team, which attracts patients, but also because of growing awareness of prevention and health care.
– concludes Monika LaskowskaMore about the project can be read HERE.