Naslov
How Croatian patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been turned into medical tourists : a comment on a mediacal and social phenomenon

Autori
Mitrečić, Dinko ; Bilić, Ervina ; Gajović, Srećko

Izvornik
Croatian medical journal (0353-9504) 55 (2014), 5; 443-445

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, uvodnik, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
Stem cells ; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Sažetak
In the last few weeks we have been witnessing in Croatia a rarely seen public interest for a neurologic disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In a rather organized way and with a significant support from all public media, the money was raised to send Croatian patients suffering from ALS to China to receive treatment referred as “stem cell therapy”. Already before, individual Croatian patients including children suffering from variety of diseases have tried on their own to seek help of this type of “therapy”. The specific aspect of the current circumstances is that the charity initiated by the subgroup of patients offered to other patients an organized and financially covered “package” for the specific hospital in China without consulting their doctors or other Croatian medical experts. Upon returning home, patients, their doctors and families are now facing the consequences of this medical and social phenomenon.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Temeljne medicinske znanosti, Kliničke medicinske znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA