From August until the end of December, SZÍVSN will be actively involved in the life of Ópályi. Through our screening program, we aim to help the local people, who have very little opportunity and knowledge to take care of their heart health—or their health in general. Dr. Ferenc Széll, who has been a general practitioner here for 52 years, says this is his first and last job. With nearly 20,000 patient visits annually, this program is a significant support.
Ópályi is a small village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, located 5 kilometers from Mátészalka, with a population of around 3,200. It is a disadvantaged community where even basic subsistence requires significant effort, let alone the quality of life and longevity.
What can we know about this small village?
Unfortunately, Ópályi has not yet developed businesses that could solve the employment issues. The largest employers are the local government and its institutions, along with small family businesses with 1-2 employees. A significant number of workers find employment in Mátészalka’s factories. Over 40 houses have been renovated to uplift the Roma minority, plots have been developed, and drainage has been managed in their residential area. Over 600 meters of sidewalk have been built, adult education has been launched to complete 7th and 8th grades, a new group has been established for them in the kindergarten, and they participate in remedial classes at school.
In recent years, primary art education and swimming lessons have been introduced in the elementary school. There is an active sports life with a county-level adult and youth team, a junior and youth team, and the Ópályi Old Boys team regularly playing in championships. The women’s and men’s handball teams compete in the county’s first division. The Ópályiak Friends Circle has been serving the village and the surrounding residents with outstanding events for years. The World Meetings of Ópályiak, May Day, and Harvest Festivals enrich the village’s life. Since 1995, the Ópályi Newspaper has been published under the Friends Circle’s care. They have established a majorette group, a modern dance group, and a folk dance group. The Cinkés Band has been formed, and these groups have been successfully participating in county and local events and talent shows for years. Through a grant, they managed to establish the village’s information center, TELEHÁZ. The Ópályiakért Foundation and the Ópályi Elementary School Students’ Foundation support the village’s needy and deserving residents. They created the Jókai Mór General Cultural Center, integrating educational work in the village with public cultural tasks and elderly care. The annual aid budget of 69 million HUF constitutes nearly 30% of the overall budget. Under the Bursa Hungarica scholarship program, 45 young people are supported. The village’s residents are mostly hardworking people, with fewer and fewer living off agricultural income.
“I have been working here as a general practitioner since 1972, and I live here, which is very rare in general practice. I used to cover three districts, and children were also my responsibility. Today, I have about 2,200 adult patients, with 18,000 patient visits per year in my practice. I work by appointment, but anyone can come to me immediately in an emergency, and telemedicine options are also available. Essentially, they come to me with everything—whether it’s gynecology, diabetes, orthopedics, cardiovascular issues—they know I’m here. I can refer them if necessary to the Mátészalka hospital, and for more complicated cases to Nyíregyháza, but it’s important that we can pay attention to their health with every possible means,” says Dr. Ferenc Széll, who has dedicated his life to preserving Ópályi’s health. “The birth-to-death ratio in the village is positive, with the population increasing by 20-30 people annually, but many of the 60-70 births occur in families living in very poor social conditions. Therefore, attention to them is particularly important, and we are very pleased with this opportunity,” said the family doctor of Ópályi.
What is the SZÍVSN Ópályi program about?
“The results of the patients involved in the screening are evaluated by the local general practitioner with the help of the Ópályi SZÍVSN coordinator. After the evaluation, it will be determined who needs a fast-tracked patient pathway. Those for whom time is pressing will be referred to the appropriate regional healthcare system by the Ópályi general practitioner. For any patients whose elevated blood sugar and cholesterol levels are due to lifestyle factors, we will involve them in weekly online lectures, which they can attend at the Ópályi community house. These weekly lectures are conducted with the help of volunteer experts, including nutritionists, doctors, registered nurses, and physiotherapists. For those with high blood pressure, we teach the rules of regular blood pressure monitoring, how to keep a blood pressure diary, and the importance of consulting the Ópályi general practitioner if needed. The risk factors will be regularly monitored during and after the program with the help of our coordinator. The resuscitation would take place in Szolnok under the leadership of Éva Surmanné Szabó,” details Zsuzsanna Bernáth Lukács, the president of SZÍVSN.
