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The long search for a solution to a health problem

The glaring flaws of the healthcare system are familiar to many. Martynas Bendorius faced this brutal reality more than ten years ago. Until then, the life of a completely healthy freshman turned upside down after a routine viral infection, which resulted in constant severe headaches. As the headaches persisted, Martynas began seeking help from emergency departments to private clinics, from one specialist to another. The responses were almost identical: “the tests show nothing wrong, it should pass soon,” “it’s just exhaustion,” “you need to avoid stress,” and so on. Over time, Martynas heard more and more opinions from both medical professionals and relatives that he was simply manipulating and seeking attention.

Due to the pain, it was impossible to work or study. However, the young man did not receive any clear answer as to what kind of disease it was. The situation seemed hopeless until Martynas met with a doctor not as a patient, but as a sponsor of pain management clinics. The specialist, an expert in his field, clearly identified the diagnosis (its name is NDPH) and helped to develop a further treatment plan.

The challenges of systemic gaps for those seeking medical assistance

Martynas, having experienced numerous disappointments with the healthcare system, realized that slogans like “The patient is the most important,” “Innovative healthcare services,” and similar phrases are often just cheap marketing ploys. “Since then, I have delved both into my own illness and into innovations in the medical system in a broader sense. It turns out there are many diseases where people have to search for years to find the necessary answer. For example, women with symptoms of endometriosis typically suffer for an average of up to eight years before a precise diagnosis is made,” said M. Bendorius.

A significant number of people seek qualified help but do not receive thorough attention, with all symptoms being attributed to psychosomatics. M. Bendorius notes: “In English, there is even a term "medical gaslighting", which describes the tendency to superficially evaluate a patient’s complaints. Even conditions such as fibromyalgia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and others, mentioned in official European Commission documents, are not yet properly included in the medical training process itself.” Therefore, Martynas believes that changes should be implemented from the beginning of the medical training process.

The IT specialist is grateful that his financial situation allowed him to “survive” the time when, due to illness, the ground completely slipped from under his feet. “I was able to seek medical help in ways that are not available to everyone. I communicated with foreign clinics and experts. However, there are plenty of examples where, without clear answers, people lose their jobs, can no longer pay bank loans, or even get divorced. Unable to bear the burden of illness, people may resort to extremes and choose to end their own lives,” M. Bendorius observed.

Searching for people with similar ideas and views in the medical community

Later, Martynas attempted to establish connections with professional organizations, aiming to draw attention to the problems he had personally experienced. He financed the implementation of various innovations in clinical practice. However, after repeatedly encountering the closed nature of the medical community and the entire health system’s resistance to change, he ultimately decided to take the initiative himself. The ambitious mission required like-minded individuals. This search led Martynas to a meeting at the Young Doctors Association five years ago, which was then headed by a doctor with the same name, Martynas Gedminas.

M. Bendorius’ experiences as a patient resonated with M. Gedminas’ disappointment in the stagnant system. It was clear that something fundamentally had to change in the system. However, at that time, the idea of starting a conceptually new model seemed unrealistic to the young medic: "I thought, what has this IT guy come up with?". I was surprised that a person who had not endured the rigors of medical studies and on-call shifts was discussing how the health system should work. After all, that hardens you (or does it injure?)!. Therefore, I did not take M. Bendorius’ thoughts too seriously, but I could not reconcile myself with the absurdity and dehumanization of the system.”

Fading tolerance for the current healthcare system prompted the initiative

M. Gedminas, wanting to bring changes to the health system, began his work in Joniškis. "In Joniškis, there was the necessary political support (it turns out, everything depends on it) to create a well-functioning medical institution away from the influence of the major centers. The changes here required a lot. However, essentially, these were uncomplicated and self-explanatory decisions. Such models naturally come to mind when you focus on service quality and patient safety," explained M. Gedminas. The doctor sincerely hoped that by creating a tangible example in a small hospital, the system would take note and begin to transform itself. M. Gedminas notes that the reaction, for now, is almost the opposite: "I now understand that sustainable changes will require much more. The system wants to maintain the status quo, no matter how hopeless it may be."  

The medic, pointing out the system’s flaws, states: "There is no pursuit of quality, only the quantities of services provided are evaluated. The pricing by National Health Insurance Fund suggests that patients should be "processed like in a factory", and repeated consultations are not paid for at all. Therefore, people cannot receive proper attention to their individual health needs. Institutions check and penalize for what you have written, so the focus on the patient becomes a secondary matter." M. Gedminas highlights the clear flaws in the public medical sector, which is leading to the growth of the private sector as an alternative. "However, even there, in many cases, the focus is on the quantities of services and financial benefit, not on the essential quality. As a result, we get many episodes of worthless floundering in the health system, where people are left alone with their troubles," said M. Gedminas.

The doctor emphasizes that "Medicine in Lithuania has degenerated and started to serve itself, forgetting its most important mission – to solve people’s health problems. Therefore, when Martynas Bendorius approached again with specific ideas, I seriously thought about it. There is a desire to expand the already created service delivery models so that more people could feel better and return to their normal lives, and medical professionals could work with dignity and realize their potential.”

Returning to the fundamental values of medicine

The experiences of M. Bendorius and M. Gedminas from the patient and doctor perspectives are the ideological foundation of Olm Clinic. The essential feature that will distinguish the new player is complex case management, helping to find comprehensive and contemporary standard-based solutions for health problems. By combining the perspectives of a generalist (broad-profile doctor) and a specialist, the approach goes from cause to result, ensuring no person is left uncertain. It will apply the latest scientific research data, methodologies of leading world clinics, artificial intelligence capabilities, and employ modern Western medicine diagnostic and treatment methods.

What does Olm mean? This is the name of the cave salamander. They were seen in Slovenia by one of the founders of the clinic, Martynas Bendorius, during his first long and trying journey after the forced "house arrest" caused by illness. This animal has several unique characteristics that fit with the concept of an innovative medical clinic: 

• Regeneration. These salamanders are not susceptible to cancerous illnesses and pose the remarkable ability to regenerate lost organs and body parts.
• Adaptability and longevity. They can endure challenging conditions for several years without sustenance and boast a lifespan exceeding a century.
• Sharp senses aid them in navigating darkness and handling situations of uncertainty.

Thus, Olm Clinic aims to offer people medical services that they should be in the European Union in the third decade of the 21st century. By creating conditions for self-realization, the clinic gradually wants to unite a community of medics sincerely devoted to mastery, which would lay the foundation for new medical standards in Lithuania. According to the clinic’s leaders: "The goals are ambitious and long-term. We can guarantee that this will not be just another medical kiosk."