For five years, Andrey Kakoichenko has been building his life, leisure, and work in the district center of Senno, brick by brick.
For five years, Andrey Kakoichenko has been building his life, leisure, and work in the district center of Senno, brick by brick. He came here as a surgeon by assignment. The leadership of the district executive committee and the central district hospital did not wait for the promising specialist to finish his term and leave for a big city. They promptly offered him to head the surgical department, and three months ago, Andrey Aleksandrovich was entrusted with the health of the entire district – appointed chief physician.
I am waiting for Doctor Kakoichenko in his office and notice the perfect order. Every item, from diplomas to historical albums, carries a semantic load. Minimalism in furniture and on the desk, where only a laptop reminded of the owner. In my thoughts, I am building an image of the chief physician. It is clear that he is young and energetic, talented and purposeful. Although they say that you can judge a person by their friends. But I am convinced: also by their office. And I will definitely find out later: the "desk concept" coincides with the policy of the Central District Hospital, which has long embraced digitalization.
— No, I am not the first young chief physician in the region; there is the example of Alexey Korotky, who headed the Dubrovno Central Regional Hospital, and now the entire structure of Orsha healthcare,— notes Andrey Alexandrovich. — The trend of personnel rejuvenation is a way to step into the age of high technologies and standardization. For example, in mastering the latest equipment. Some innovations are studied abroad, and for this, you need at least to know a foreign language and be mobile. I judge by myself, my parents, and colleagues: the older and more experienced you become, the less dynamic you are.The chief physician has many other acquaintances among successful peers: his fellow student heads the therapeutic department in Senno, and a colleague, a year younger, heads the surgical department. A reliable young team is being assembled: out of 55 doctors, almost half are under 35 years old. At the same time, there are experienced colleagues with the highest category and over 20 years of service who help and encourage future prospects.— It is encouraging that young people are staying in their local areas. If previously they preferred to gain the necessary experience, recommendations, and follow the classic path to large cities, now the trend is the opposite. A gynecologist and a surgeon who started here are thinking of returning,— emphasizes Andrey Kakoychenko. — Seven interns will come to Senno this year. All of them are on targeted training, which means for at least five years.
As a leader with an active civic stance, Andrey Alexandrovich wants his future colleagues to stay here forever:
— Let's be direct. What do we call home? The place where you were born is your parental home. Your own ho
Andrei Aleksandrovich hails from Liozno, a cosy and small town. But it was Senno that became his home. It is easy to explain why. He dedicated five fruitful years to the local healthcare system. At the clinic, he used to see about 70-80 patients a day, and over one and a half thousand a month. The district has only 20,000 residents. This means he knows practically everyone by sight. Whereas in his hometown, he largely knows only relatives and school friends.
— The local infrastructure, of course, cannot compare to that of the capital or the region, but it is sufficient to fill 20 percent of my time. Considering that I spend 80 percent of my time at work, — notes the chief physician. — I am not attracted by the rhythm of big cities. I live 50 metres from the hospital and enjoy stepping out onto the balcony and seeing the lit windows of my operating room. It means it's time to get dressed and go out.
The RESPONSIBLE position added a burden of new duties, most of which are organisational. At first, the practising surgeon, who was used to almost daily operations, was upset by this, but soon appreciated the advantages of management. There is an opportunity to implement modern technologies and improve approaches.
— Medicine is constantly evolving, and we are constantly learning. My mentor during my internship, the head of practice, told me that you can only be called a surgeon after 10 years, when you have stolen a lot of experience from your colleagues. Stolen, because all this is personal development, — the interlocutor smiles.
The Central District Hospital has received additional material and technical equipment, which has improved local diagnostics and reduced the burden on regional structures. Last year, two high-class ultrasound machines and an FGDS apparatus were purchased. In 2020, it is planned to acquire anesthesia and respiratory machines, as emergency care is always given the highest priority.
— The complexity of the district level is the lack of narrow specialization. Any pathology is our domain. We receive severely injured patients after road traffic accidents with multiple injuries — you quickly examine them and provide multidisciplinary surgical care, starting from the ambulance. It happened that we performed aortic prostheses at night for non-transportable patients together with a cardiac surgeon, — recalls Andrey Kakoychenko.
The young doctor does not hide that he experienced difficulties at the beginning of his career. A patient dying on the operating table after a severe industrial injury — a fall from a height — comes to mind. You restart the heart, and it stops again — as if everything is happening in a movie, not with you. It's easy to say that the injury is incompatible with life. But Andrey Kakoychenko is one of those who start looking for the cause of all problems within himself. Fortunately, senior colleagues provide support.
The neighboring Orsha region and the pilot project implemented there became a role model. Colleagues interactprovide: specialised care, planned high-tech surgeries have been taken over by Orsha, which allows Sennо doctors to focus on interventions feasible within the material and technical base.
In Sennо, a path towards global informatisation has been mapped out, with the implementation of an electronic polyclinic, bidding farewell to bulky patient records. Telemedicine is being developed. It does not require anything extraordinary: a compact camera, a computer, and a software key that allows for the input of all examinations and the remote assessment of surgical risks.
HE WORKS WELL who rests wisely. Upon arriving in the Sennо region, Andrey Alexandrovich and his fellow students joined the experienced team of intellectuals "What? Where? When?", and in five years in the district, they have never lost first place. In the summer, he goes kayaking with friends. Fortunately, the Sennо region is famous for its lakes. With a colleague, they have cycled across the entire district on road bikes, exploring the sights – for example, the country's second-largest boulder-stone.
— Yes, sport is my thing, — asserts the chief physician. — The entire team participates in sports festivals, rope course competitions, plays laser tag, volleyball, and trains at the FOK (Physical Culture and Sports Complex). This is largely thanks to the young trade union committee. An active lifestyle, and the support of family and friends help to work diligently and focus on success. I don't count how many operations I have performed; the main thing is how many more are yet to be done.