Budapest, March 23, 2005 10:00

The "Matáv Gives Back" program has donated HUF 3.9 million to the National Institute of Neurosurgery. On March 22, 2005 Matáv's Communication Director Bálint Nagy presented the check representing the donation to the Director General of the Institute Professor István Nyáry.

Matáv has given a HUF 3.9 million donation to the National Institute of Neurosurgery Science (OITI). OITI is Hungary's leading neurosurgery institute, Europe's third largest neurosurgery center where people with brain and spinal problems are treated with neurosurgery methods. The number of neurosurgical operations requiring cranial opening is continuously decreasing as technology develops. Patients handicapped by Parkinson's disease and other motor disabilities are currently treated with a new surgical method using a high-precision aiming equipment known as a stereotaxic instrument. With the device worth HUF 3.9 million purchased from the donation received from the "Matáv Gives Back" program the position of malfunctioning cores in the brain can be located to within 0.2 mm enabling the surgeon to introduce with the help of a micro-drive in one-tenth millimeter steps the electrode required for the electrophysiological tests. The pacemaker implanted this way stops tremor or other abnormal movements of the patient's limbs.

"Neither social insurance nor the hospitals' owners are in the position to follow developments in this profession and finance all conditions for introducing new interventions," complained Professor Nyáry, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Viribus Unitis Foundation established by OITI. About one tenth of the more than 12,000 Parkinson's patients in Hungary cannot be treated with drugs, but perhaps could be treated with an operation. Currently the neurosurgery centers can perform 30 - 50 Parkinson's operations annually. "With appropriate support, about a hundred additional operations could be performed a year. Matáv's donation means a significant step towards achievement of our goals," added the Director General.

"Matáv often gives donations for the procurement of life-saving instruments and development of the hospitals' equipment. We think it is important that internationally recognized Hungarian specialists can offer the highest level of health service also in Hungary," said Matáv's Communication Director Bálint Nagy explaining the decision made by the Board of Trustees.