Everyone at Fresenius Medical Care is happy and grateful when patients tell us how much the treatments they receive help them to lead a more joyful life. But what recently happened in the city of Palma del Rio in the South of Spain is truly unique.
It’s the story of Emilio Delgado Martos, a dialysis patient that has been receiving treatment at Fresenius Medical Care’s local dialysis centre since July 2018. Over the years, he has spent considerable time there, and he vividly remembers when he first entered the centre: “When you arrive there for the first time, you find yourself frightened and unsettled by an unknown treatment.”
For him, it was very important that this initial feeling of insecurity was recognized and taken care of, that he would feel reassured by the treatment. His hopes were more than fulfilled: “I found their way of working excellent. The patience of the staff, their professionalism, their humanity and the way they apply the treatment – it all makes the stay at the centre easier. It’s very important for those of us who spend so many hours and days a week connected to a monitor.”
A grateful patient
Mr. Martos was so grateful for the way he was treated at the centre that he nominated the facility to receive the Medal of Honour of the city of Palma del Rio. The city council not only accepted the nomination – it decided to actually award the Medal. It was presented on February 28th during the festivities of the annual Andalusia Day.
For the director of the institution, Dr. Isabel Berdud Godoy, it was a wonderful moment when she accepted the medal on behalf of the dialysis centre. “We are all so grateful and honoured. After all, this was proposed by one of our patients – it tells us that the people who matter most to us truly appreciate the work that we do.”
At the Palma del Rio dialysis centre 11 healthcare professionals take care of up to 25 patients, and all eleven were at the ceremony to accept the Medal, accompanied by their non-medical colleagues. Dr. Godoy is convinced that being able to apply the best possible treatment and a constant focus on personal and individual care are the most important factors for a successful treatment. “We need to take care of every patient individually - they spend many hours of their lives with us.”
A great honour
Emilio Delgado Martos took the opportunity to personally thank the centre for its work: “Thank you for your professionalism, your humanity, patience, perseverance, for your work so well done, for making those almost five hours more bearable when our life is in your hands. Without you, those machines to which you connect us would not do their job so well. Thank you for your attitude towards us, for your smile, for your love, for the encouragement and help you give us.”
Beautiful words that describe in an almost poetic way what every healthcare professional wants to achieve with their work – and what is at the heart of what we do at Fresenius Medical Care.